New method may help improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring
By Rachel Champeau November 18, 2009
Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with
nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer
cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor.
These cells, known as circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can provide
critical information for examining and diagnosing cancer metastasis, determining
patient prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapies.
Metastasis — the most common cause of cancer-related death in patients with
solid tumors — is caused by marauding tumor cells that leave the primary tumor
site and ride in the bloodstream to set up colonies in other parts of the
body.
The current gold standard for examining the disease status of tumors is an
analysis of metastatic solid biopsy samples, but in the early stages of
metastasis, it is often difficult to identify a biopsy site. By
capturing CTCs, doctors can essentially perform a "liquid" biopsy, allowing for
early detection and diagnosis, as well as improved treatment monitoring.
To date, several methods have been developed to track these cells, but the UCLA team's novel "fly paper" approach may be faster and cheaper than others — and it appears to capture far more CTCs.
