Tracking viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing definitive radiation therapy: pilot study results.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Assays identifying circulating tumor cells (CTCs) allow noninvasive and sequential monitoring of the status of primary or metastatic tumors, potentially yielding clinically useful information. However, to the authors' knowledge, the effect of radiation therapy (RT) on CTCs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been previously explored.

Methods

This report describes results from a pilot study of 30 patients with NSCLC who received RT. Peripheral blood samples obtained from these patients were assayed for CTCs using an assay that identified live cells using an adenoviral probe that detected the elevated telomerase activity present in almost all cancer cells, but not in normal cells, and the validity of the assay was confirmed with secondary tum

SUBMITTER: Dorsey JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4270850 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature