The relevance of CTCs (Circulating Tumour Cells) in the bloodstream - Dr. Fluhrer & Prof. Pachmann
On this Genostics videocast, Dr. Joachim Fluhrer and Prof. Katharina Pachmann discuss the relevance of Circulating Tumour Cells in the bloodstream.
Dr. Fluhrer: From the publications we understand, and from the research we understand that these cells escape a primary tumour very early on and are present in the blood stream. So what does the presence of these Circulating Tumour Cells mean in particular in relationship to the ongoing prognosis of the patient?
Prof. Katharina Pachmann: We find indeed cells in very early tumours already in the blood, and it has been claimed with other methods already that the presence of these cells is already a bag prognostic marker. That's not in our hands: we think that not the presence of these cells is important, but the dynamic of these cells. And, if the cells increase in numbers, this must mean that there are cells being newly produced and released into the circulation. This is a sign that the tumour is active or again active and this can be used then on one hand if there is no therapy, to look for the tumour activity or, during the therapy, to see whether the therapy is capably of destructing the cells or reducing the number or probably also to eliminate these cells.
Customised Chemosensitivity test exposes a person's CTCs to recommended chemotherapy or other cancer killing agents to see which therapy or therapy combination is most effective at killing a person's CTCs.
Prof. Katharina Pachmann: So we think it is mainly a tool to monitor tumour activity and treatment success.
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