Results: ≥1 CTC in 30 ml blood was detected in 15 (15%) benign tumors, in 9 DCIS (19%), in 28 (16%) stage I, 32
(18%) stage II and in 16 (31%) patients with stage III. In stage I to III patients 76 (19%) had ≥1 CTC of whom 16
(21.1%) developed a recurrence. In 328 patients with 0 CTC 38 (11.6%) developed a recurrence. Four-year RFS was
88.4% for favorable CTC and 78.9% for unfavorable CTC (P = 0.038). A total of 25 patients died of breast cancerrelated
causes and 11 (44%) had ≥1 CTC. BRD was 4.3% for favorable and 14.5% for unfavorable CTC (P = 0.001).
In multivariate analysis ≥1 CTC was associated with distant disease-free survival, but not for overall recurrence-free
survival. CTC, progesterone receptor and N-stage were independent predictors of BRD in multivariate analysis