Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Automated Collection of CTCs Improves Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 16 Sep 2019
A recent paper described the benefits of circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis for improving the diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer beyond currently used PSA (prostate specific antigen) measurement, biopsy and/or MRI imagery.

PSA testing can result in unnecessary biopsies and over-diagnosis with consequent over-treatment. More...
Tissue biopsy is an invasive procedure, associated with significant risk of complications. More accurate non- or minimum-invasive diagnostic approaches are required to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsy and over-diagnosis.

Towards this end, investigators at Queen Mary University of London (United Kingdom) evaluated the potential of using circulating tumor cell analysis for prostate cancer diagnosis, particularly in predicting the presence of clinically significant prostate tumors in patients prior to biopsy.

The investigators used the ANGLE plc (Surrey, United Kingdom) Parsortix system to capture and analyze CTCs from 98 pre-biopsy and 155 newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients.

The Parsortix liquid biopsy process requires a blood sample - typically 10 milliliters in an EDTA vacutainer tube. As no pre-processing is required, the tube is simply attached to the Parsortix instrument. A Parsortix filtration cassette is inserted into the instrument and the system is primed for use. The instrument automatically passes the blood through the filtration cassette, and CTCs are caught in the cassette due to their larger size and lower compressibility as compared to other blood components.

Once trapped in the cassette, CTCs may be automatically stained with selected antibodies, which enables their identification and characterization. In addition, CTCs may be enumerated by placing the filtration cassette under a fluorescent microscope. Alternatively, cells may be eluted from the cassette and recovered in buffer solution for genomic analysis.

Results obtained with the Parsortix system indicated that the appearance of CTCs in pre-biopsy blood samples was indicative of the presence of aggressive prostate cancer. When the CTC tests results were combined with those of the current PSA test, the presence of aggressive prostate cancer in subsequent biopsies was predicted with accuracy of over 90%, better than any previously reported biomarkers.

Senior author Dr. Yong-Jie Lu, professor of molecular oncology at Queen Mary University of London said, "The current prostate cancer test often leads to unnecessary invasive biopsies and over-diagnosis and over treatment of many men, causing significant harm to patients and a waste of valuable healthcare resources. There is clearly a need for better selection of patients to undergo the biopsy procedure. Testing for circulating tumor cells is efficient, non-invasive, and potentially accurate, and we have now demonstrated its potential to improve the current standard of care. By combining the new CTC analysis with the current PSA test, we were able to detect prostate cancer with the highest level of accuracy ever seen in any biomarker test, which could spare many patients unnecessary biopsies. This could lead to a paradigm shift in the way we diagnose prostate cancer."

The study was published in the August 7, 2019, online edition of the Journal of Urology.

Related Links:
Queen Mary University of London
ANGLE plc


Gold Member
Quantitative POC Immunoassay Analyzer
EASY READER+
3-Part Differential Hematology Analyzer
Swelab Alfa Plus Sampler
New
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
New
Rapid Test Reader
DIA5000
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.