circulating tumor cell count

Indications

• done prior to the initiation of therapy and serially during treatment of carcinoma

Principle

• circulating tumor cell count identifies & quantifies EpCAM produced by epithelial tumor cells (carcinomas)

Clinical significance

• may aid in determining prognosis & in assessing treatment efficacy.
• independent predictor of progression-free survival & overall survival
• cutoffs vary by tumor cell type

Specimen

whole blood

More general terms

• cytology