Detection Of Circulating Tumor Cells In The Management Of Patients With Cancer

The prognosis of cancer patients is often determined by the occurrence of metastatic disease. Studies have suggested that the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with metastatic carcinoma is associated with shortened survival. The detection of CTCs might be useful for assessing prognosis and guiding cancer therapy. While studies have shown that the level of CTCs is associated with the presence of metastatic disease and prognosis, the prospective use of this information to impact care has not been demonstrated. Given that insufficient evidence is available to evaluate the impact on patient management or health outcomes and additional remaining questions (eg, the optimal cutoff to use for various conditions) the assessment of CTCs is considered investigational.