Article

Liquid Biopsy to Identify CTCs and Guide Treatment Decisions in Bladder Cancer

A blood test performed before radical cystectomy in patients with urothelial cancer of the bladder could identify the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which are predictive of outcome, according to a new study.

A blood test performed before radical cystectomy in patients with urothelial cancer of the bladder could identify the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which are predictive of outcome, according to a new study.

This "liquid biopsy" could offer valuable guidance about treatment decisions, said Michael Rink, MD, from University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.

Dr. Rink presented the findings here at the European Association of Urology 29th Annual Congress.

"The presence of CTCs was a strong predictor of outcome in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy," he said. These patients should be counseled about preoperative CTC findings, he added.

Read the complete story here: http://bit.ly/1lEDzcV

Source: Medscape

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