Circulating Tumor Cells: Liquid Biopsy of Cancer

BACKGROUND: The detection and molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are one of the most active areas of translational cancer research, with >400 clinical studies having included CTCs as a biomarker. The aims of research on CTCs include (a) estimation of the risk for metastatic relapse or metastatic progression (prognostic information), (b) stratification and real-time monitoring of therapies, (c) identification of therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms, and (d) understanding metastasis development in cancer patients. CONTENT: This review focuses on the technologies used for the enrichment and detection of CTCs. We outline and discuss the current technologies that are based on…

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  Sanofi