Circulating tumor cells in urological cancers

Abstract

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) represent a very small subpopulation of the cancer cells found in the bloodstream of patients in the metastatic phase of neoplastic disease. Due to the timeline of the disease, they are regarded as a negative prognostic marker. This study focused on determining CTC percentages; these values vary be-tween different types of cancer. In addition to their diagnostic use, CTCs may also be used to treat the disease. Calculating CTC population size and analyzing their biology in patients in advanced stages of cancer may prove valuable in creating a molecular profile for the disease. This would strongly encourage diagnostics and enable personalized treatment. We here present an analysis of recent data on CTCs in urological cancers and their potential uses.

Keywords: CTCs; bladder cancer; circulating tumor cells; cultivation; gene expression; in vitro; kidney cancer; prostate cancer.