title: Dynamic changes in numbers and properties of circulating tumor cells and their potential applications.
abstract: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected in the blood of different types of early or advanced cancer using immunology-based assays or nucleic acid methods. The detection and quantification of CTCs has significant clinical utility in the prognosis of metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. CTCs are a heterogeneous population of cells and often different from those of their respective primary tumor. Understanding the biology of CTCs may provide useful predictive information for the selection of the most appropriate treatment. Therefore, CTC detection and characterization could become a valuable tool to refine prognosis and serve as a "real-time biopsy" and has the potential to guide precision cancer therapies, monitor cancer treatment, and investigate the process of metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. magic1304@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ju-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei 10629, Taiwan. yc3636@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Chih-Yung
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. suejing1@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Shu-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Genetic Imaging Core/Taiwan Mouse Clinic, Taipei 11529, Taiwan. rsliu@vghtpe.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Ren-Shyan
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan. jkjiang@vghtpe.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Jeng-Kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. linch@ym.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chi-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin