Re: Micrometastatic Breast Cancer Cells in Bone Marrow at Primary Surgery: Prognostic Value in Comparison With Nodal Status

Abstract
Early occult spread of tumor cells must be regarded as a major cause for the development of metastatic disease in patients with completely resected breast cancer. Immunocytochemical assays with monoclonal antibodies directed against epithelial differentiation antigens have allowed the detection of micrometastatic carcinoma cells in bone marrow. Most of the studies were performed with monoclonal antibodies either against cytokeratin (a major constituent of the cytoskeleton in epithelial cells) or against membranebound mucins (e.g., epithelial membrane antigen, human milk fat globule, and tumor-associated glycoprotein-12 [TAG12]).