About the Authors

Antonio Marchetti

Contributed equally to this work with: Antonio Marchetti, Maela Del Grammastro, Lara Felicioni, Sara Malatesta

amarchetti@unich.it (AM); fbuttitta@unich.it (FB)

Affiliation Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Maela Del Grammastro

Contributed equally to this work with: Antonio Marchetti, Maela Del Grammastro, Lara Felicioni, Sara Malatesta

Affiliation Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Lara Felicioni

Contributed equally to this work with: Antonio Marchetti, Maela Del Grammastro, Lara Felicioni, Sara Malatesta

Affiliations Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy, Oncological and Cardiovascular Molecular Medicine Unit, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Sara Malatesta

Contributed equally to this work with: Antonio Marchetti, Maela Del Grammastro, Lara Felicioni, Sara Malatesta

Affiliation Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Giampaolo Filice

Affiliation Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Irene Centi

Affiliation Hospital “SS Annunziata”, Pathology Unit, Chieti, Italy

Tommaso De Pas

Affiliation Department of Medicine, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy

Armando Santoro

Affiliation Department of Oncology, Humanitas Cancer Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy

Antonio Chella

Affiliation Cardiothoracic Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Alba Ariela Brandes

Affiliation Department of Medical Oncology, Bellaria-Maggiore Hospital, Azienda USL of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Paola Venturino

Affiliation Roche S.p.A., Monza, Italy

Franco Cuccurullo

Affiliation Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Lucio Crinò

Affiliation Department of Medical Oncology, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera di Perugia, Perugia, Italy

Fiamma Buttitta

amarchetti@unich.it (AM); fbuttitta@unich.it (FB)

Affiliations Center of Predictive Molecular Medicine, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy, Oncological and Cardiovascular Molecular Medicine Unit, Center of Excellence on Aging, University-Foundation, Chieti, Italy

Competing Interests

This study was partly funded by Roche S.p.A., the employer of Paola Venturino. The CellSearch system tested in this study is a commercial tool (Veridex LLC). There are no further patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: AM FB. Performed the experiments: MDG LF SM GF IC. Analyzed the data: AM MDG LF GF FB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: TDP AS AC AAB LC. Wrote the paper: AM FB. Supervision: AM PV FC FB.