Clinicians may be able to use circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to develop a staging system that helps the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC), according to research to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting June 1-5 in Chicago.
The study revealed that a CTC count can help researchers identify MBC patients who would benefit more conservative treatment as opposed to means that are more aggressive. In theory, this would lead to fewer physical side effects and less costs for those patients.
“Our study found that there are 60 percent of MBC patients for which the disease may not be immediately aggressive,” study co-author Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, associate director of translational research at Northwestern University’s Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center in Chicago, said in a prepared statement. “This analysis suggests that CTC testing can complement standard imaging studies and provide an even more accurate and sensitive method for staging patients with advanced breast cancer.”
The FDA-approved CELLSEARCH system, from Menarini Silicon Biosystems, was used to conduct this research.
“This latest study could have a profound clinical and economic impact on healthcare systems,” Bob Roda, president and CEO of Menarini Silicon Biosystems, said in the same statement.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.