Resumen
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an overly aggressive cancer characterized by rapid growth, early metastatic spread, and consequently reducing overall survival. As cancer manifestations can differ uniquely between various types, the rapid proliferation of circulating tumor cells (CTC) originating from SCLC was an adequate sample resource to aid the headway in our drug screening technique. With biomarker detection of liquid biopsy as an emerging tool to assist decision-making in personalized cancer pharmacotherapy. In this study, we developed a rapid and reproducible system for preclinical drug testing via the use of a unique CTCs expansion protocol. The expanded CTCs from SCLC formed multiple types of tumorsphere structures and expressed SCLC-specific tumor markers. The drug sensitivity assessment gathered from in vitro expansion of CTCs was able to generate positive clinical therapeutic outcomes. Thus, SCLC patient-derived CTC spheroids are a useful resource for biomarker development and drug sensitivity assessment providing ?real-world? therapeutic response circumstances.