Early Detection and Dynamic Changes of Circulating Tumor Cells in Transgenic NeuN Transgenic (NTTg) Mice with Spontaneous Breast Tumor Development.

Serial CTCs during an early stage of tumor progression were quantified and found to be positively correlated with the later tumor vascular density and size. Furthermore, the successful generation of CTC-derived xenografts indicates the tumorigenicity of this early onset CTC population.