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Commentary

Monitoring circulating tumor cells in cancer vaccine trials

J.D. Gates, L.C. Benavides, A. Stojadinovic, E.A. Mittendorf, J.P. Holmes, M.G. Carmichael, S. McCall, A.L. Milford, G.A. Merrill, S. Ponniah and G.E. Peoples

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The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) from various cancers has provided a wealth of information and possibilities. As the role of CTC detection in the treatment assessment of metastatic breast cancer becomes standard, there is interest in applying this tool in cancer vaccine development and clinical trial monitoring. Since we lack a proven immunologic assay that correlates with clinical response, CTC detection, quantification, and phenotypic characterization may be a useful surrogate for clinical outcome. The Cancer Vaccine Development Program is involved in the development of HER2/neu peptide based vaccine development for the prevention of recurrence in HER2/neu expressing cancers like breast cancer. The CellSearch System (Veridex, LLC Warren, NJ) has been used by our lab in conjunction with in vivo and/or in vitro immunologic measurements to define a monitoring tool that could predict clinical response. Once validated, this assay could significantly shorten clinical trials and lead to more efficient assessment of potentially promising cancer vaccines.

Authors

J.D. Gates

Department of Surgery; General Surgery Service; Brooke Army Medical Center; Ft. Sam Houston, Texas USA

L.C. Benavides

Department of Surgery; General Surgery Service; Brooke Army Medical Center; Ft. Sam Houston, Texas USA

A. Stojadinovic

Cancer Vaccine Development Program; United States Military Cancer Institute; Department of Surgery; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Bethesda, Maryland USA

E.A. Mittendorf

Department of Surgical Oncology; MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, Texas USA

J.P. Holmes

Department of Medicine; Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology; Naval Medical Center San Diego; San Diego, California USA

M.G. Carmichael

Cancer Vaccine Development Program; United States Military Cancer Institute; Department of Surgery; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Bethesda, Maryland USA

S. McCall

Department of Clinical Investigations; Brooke Army Medical Center; Ft. Sam Houston, Texas USA

A.L. Milford

Department of Clinical Investigations; Brooke Army Medical Center; Ft. Sam Houston, Texas USA

G.A. Merrill

Department of Clinical Investigations; Brooke Army Medical Center; Ft. Sam Houston, Texas USA

S. Ponniah

Cancer Vaccine Development Program; United States Military Cancer Institute; Department of Surgery; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Bethesda, Maryland USA

G.E. Peoples

Department of Surgery; General Surgery Service; Brooke Army Medical Center; Ft. Sam Houston, Texas USA

Purchase article for $19

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