Application
The assay is designed to robustly capture, enumerate, and obtain cytology data of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the blood. It is applicable for assessing prognosis, treatment efficacy, and manage treatment decision for most cancer types including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.
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“Liquid Biopsy” of Circulating Tumor Cells
Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are the cells shed from a primary tumor into the blood stream and subsequently metastasize to various locations in the body. Microfilter device has been developed providing a non-invasive mean to capture CTC in the blood stream, which is promising to become a surrogate of the traditional tissue biopsy. CTC counts has been shown a significant independent predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer. Further characterization of CTC based on its cytology and molecular approach would gain insight of tumor biology which would pave the way for optimized treatment for each patient.
Test Description
Blood sample is filtered through a polymer microfilter with uniformed pore size and high porosity (Figure below) using an automatic pump to capture circulating tumor cells. CTC are generally bigger and more rigid than the blood cells. Therefore, the process can effectively enrich the CTC rapidly and effectively. Furthermore, the enrichment does not depend on antibody capture and works with both viable and fixed cells.