The CTC-chip: an exciting new tool to detect circulating tumor cells in lung cancer patients.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells that originate from a malignancy and circulate freely in the peripheral blood. The ability to capture and study CTCs is an emerging field with implications for early detection, diagnosis, determining prognosis and monitoring of cancer, as well as for understanding the fundamental biology of the process of metastasis. Here, we review the development and initial clinical studies with a novel microfluidic platform for isolating these cells, the CTC-chip, and discuss its potential uses in the study of lung cancer.
Sequist
Lecia V
LV
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. lvsequist@partners.org
Nagrath
Sunitha
S
Toner
Mehmet
M
Haber
Daniel A
DA
Lynch
Thomas J
TJ
D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling