Overview
CELLSEARCH® Circulating Tumor Cell Test
CellSearch is the first and only actionable test for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer patients with metastatic breast, prostate or colorectal cancer. It is the first and only clinically validated, FDA-cleared blood test for enumerating CTCs: cancer cells that detach from a primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
This “liquid biopsy” can be used at any time during a patient’s course of disease. It is a simple, actionable blood test that helps oncologists assess the prognosis of patients with metastatic breast, prostate or colorectal cancer.
How It Works
Tumors metastasize, or spread, when cells detach from the primary tumor and enter the bloodstream, which carries them to distant sites such as the bones, liver, brain and lungs.
- Tumor cells found in the bloodstream are called CTCs
- Some of these cells may establish new tumors at distant sites, a process known as metastasis
- CTCs are rarely found in healthy people or in people with nonmalignant tumors
Why It Matters
- Non-invasive: a simple blood draw
- FDA-cleared and clinically validated
- Can be used at any point in the course of disease
- Among 295 healthy controls (with or without benign tumors), only 3% had more than 1 CTC detected