Circulating Tumor Cells: How Far Have We Come with Mining These Seeds of Metastasis?

ABSTRACT: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that slough off from the tumor and circulate in the peripheral blood and lymphatic system as micro metastases that eventually results in macro metastases. Through a simple blood draw, sensitive CTC detection from clinical samples has proven to be a useful tool for determining the prognosis of cancer. Recent technological developments now make it possible to detect CTCs reliably and repeatedly from a simple and straightforward blood test. Multicenter trials to assess the clinical value of CTCs have demonstrated the prognostic value of these cancer cells. Studies on CTCs have filled huge knowledge gap in understanding the process of metastasis since their identification in the late 19th century. However, these rare cancer cells have not been re

SUBMITTER: Radhakrishnan V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10887304 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature