Circulating tumor cell enumeration using a combination of EpCAM and Cell-surface vimentin based methods for monitoring breast cancer therapeutic response

摘要

BackgroundDetection, isolation and enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from cancer patients has become an important modality in clinical management of patients with breast cancer. Although CellSearch, an EpCAM based method that is used to isolate epithelial CTCs has gained immense importance, its inability to detect mesenchymal CTCs from breast cancer patients raises concerns for its utility as a clinical management tool.