Discovery
What is this large polynucleated cell?
Unlike circulating tumor cells (CTCs), the cytokeratin stain (green) expression is smooth without a pattern.
Cancer Associated Macrophage-Like Cell (CAML) was named because of CD14 expression.
CAML Characteristics
Very large: 25-300 microns in size
Polynucleated
Markers and DNA of engulfed tumor material
Giant CAMLs are found in all major solid tumors, and they appear in all stages of cancer
Examples of Giant CAMLs
Other cancer-associated markers found in the blood of cancer patients:
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs)
Circulating endothelial cells (CECs)
Epithelial mesenchymal transition cells (EMTs)
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs)
Found primarily in late-stage breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers
True CTCs
Cancerous nucleus morphology
CK 8, 18, 19 (+) with filamentous pattern
CD45 (-)
Apoptotic CTCs
Degraded nuclei
CK 8, 18, 19 fragmented into spots
CD45 (-)
Size differences between CAMLs and CTCs
Giant CAMLs are found in all stages of solid tumors, and are more prevalent than CTCs.
