Receptor-activator of nuclear-factor-κB-ligand (RANKL) and its receptor RANK have been recently identified as key players in breast cancer bone metastases. Since Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are considered a crucial step of metastatic process, we explored RANK expression on CTCs in metastatic breast cancer (MBC), and the predictive value of RANK-positive CTCs in monitoring patients during treatment with denosumab (anti-RANKL antibody). To this purpose, we developed a novel CTC assay to quantify RANK-positive CTCs in forty-two bone MBC patients, candidates to denosumab treatment. Companion algorithms ΔAUC and Slope were developed, and correlated with time to first skeletal-related-events (SRE), time to bone metastasis progression and time to visceral metastasis progression. Twenty-seven patients had at least one CTC at baseline and, among these, nineteen (70%) had one or more RANK-positive CTCs. Notably, the baseline total CTCs, but not the RANK-positive, were associated with Time-to-first-SRE, Time-to-Bone-Metastasis-Progression and Time-to-Visceral-Metastasis-Progression. Conversely, during treatment monitoring, positive ΔAUC value, expression of RANK-positive CTCs persistence, correlated with longer Time-to-first-SRE (p = 0.0002) and Timeto-Bone-Metastasis-progression (p = 0.0012). Furthermore, the early increase at second day, in RANK-positive CTCs (Positive-Slope) was associated with delay in time-to-first-SRE (p = 0.0038) and time-to-Bone-Metastasis-progression (p = 0.0024). We demonstrate, for the first time, the expression of RANK on CTCs in MBC patients and that the persistence of RANK expression determines denosumab effectiveness. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL)/RANK axis represents the main characterized therapeutic target to prevent bone metastasis in solid tumors 1. About 70% metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients develops skeletal metastases often associated to skeletal related events (SREs) with a serious negative impact on patients' quality of life 2. Accumulating evidences suggest that RANKL/RANK signaling, not only influences bone microenvironment, mediating osteoclast activity and survival, but also promotes BC metastases 1,3. Indeed, RANK-RANKL blocking antibodies showed antitumor efficacy in bone MBC preclinical models both in preventive 4,5 and therapeutic settings 4,6,7. This antitumor effect could be either "indirect" through the inhibition of bone resorption that, in