Tumor Dissemination: An EMT Affair

A recent paper reports that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from metastatic breast cancer patients exhibit heterogeneous epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes and that CTCs display higher frequencies of partial or full-blown mesenchymal phenotype than carcinoma cells within primary tumors. Mesenchymal-like CTCs are also elevated in patients who are refractory to therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]