Breast cancer metastasis is a complex multistep process during which tumor cells undergo structural and functional changes that allow them to move away from the primary tumor and disseminate to distant organs and tissues. Despite the inefficiency of this process, some populations of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which are those cells responsible of metastases formation, are able to survive in blood circulation and grow into secondary tumors. Metastatic breast cancer remains an incurable disease, and the phenomenon of metastasis represents the larger cause of death in these patients. The application of liquid biopsy techniques and the advancements in the field have shown the prognostic value of CTCs, suggesting the importance that CTCs analyses may have in the clinic. However, their implementation in routine clinic has not been yet achieved due to the yet small body of evidence showing their clinical utility. This introductory chapter will revise the key aspects of breast cancer metastasis and discuss the importance of CTC analyses in the management of breast cancer patients.
Keywords: Breast cancer; Circulating tumor cells (CTCs); Liquid biopsy; Metastasis; Tumor heterogeneity.