Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and hTERT gene expression in CTCs for radiotherapy effect with lung cancer

BMC Cancer

Table 5 Relationship between ORR and CTC subtypes

Factor	Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation		Z	P
Factor	CR + PR (ORR)	SD + PD	Z	P
TCTCs
Pre-RT	11.00 (6.50,14.50)	18.00 (14.00,27.50)	-4.176	<0.001^*
Post-RT	3.00 (1.00,5.50)	7.50 (3.75,19.50)	-2.185	0.029^*
ECTCs
Pre-RT	3.00 (0.00,4.50)	1.50 (0.00,6.25)	-0.785	0.432
Post-RT	0.00 (0.00,1.00)	0.50 (0.00,2.50)	-0.698	0.485
EMCTCs
Pre-RT	5.00 (2.50,7.00)	10.50 (4.75,20.50)	-3.268	0.001^*
Post-RT	1.00 (0.00,4.00)	4.00 (2.00,9.75)	-2.418	0.016^*
MCTCs
Pre-RT	2.00 (1.00,4.00)	3.50 (1.75,6.25)	-1.644	0.100
Post-RT	0.00 (0.00,2.00)	1.00 (0.00,4.50)	-1.286	0.198

Notes: ^*P < 0.05;statistical description: median (figures outside the parentheses) and interquartile range (figures in the parentheses)
Abbreviations: CR, complete repose; PR, partial response. SD, stable disease, PD, progressive disease; SCC, squamous cell carcinoma; Pre-RT, Pre-radiotherapy; Post-RT, Post-radiotherapy; ECTCs, epithelial circulating tumor cells; EMCTCs, epithelial–mesenchymal circulating tumor cells; MCTCs, mesenchymal circulating tumor cells; TCTCs, total CTCs; ORR, overall response rate, ORR = CR + PR.

ISSN: 1471-2407