Folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells might function as potential biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma

Figure 1 Comparative analysis of folate receptor-circulating tumor cell count and alpha fetoprotein for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis. A: Comparison of folate receptor-circulating tumor cell counts between patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and those with benign liver disease; B: Receiver operating characteristic curves of the folate receptor-circulating tumor cell count, the alpha fetoprotein level and the combination for hepatocellular carcinoma. CTC: Circulating tumor cell; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; AUC: Area under the curve; AFP: Alpha fetoprotein.

Figure 2 Comparison of folate receptor-circulating tumor cell counts in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. A: Different tumor diameters; B: Different extrahepatic metastasis stages; C: Different tumor numbers; D: Different vascular invasion statuses; E: Different Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages. CTC: Circulating tumor cell; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; NS: Not significant.

Figure 3 Prognostic and predictive utility of folate receptor-circulating tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. A: Comparison of disease-free survival time between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with high and folate receptor (FR)-circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts; B: Comparison of FR + CTC counts in HCC patients before any treatment and after R0 resection or conservative treatment; C: Receiver operating characteristic curves comparing the performance of FR + CTC counts between HCC patients with early recurrence and those with late recurrence. CTC: Circulating tumor cell; AUC: Area under the curve.