Predicting tumor spread by sorting traveling cancer cells

Date: Nov-07-2014 The chances of surviving cancer diminish fast once cells break away

from the primary tumor and course through the bloodstream to establish

secondary tumors in other parts of the body. Now, researchers have

developed a device that can sort the different types of circulating tumor

cells and better predict cancer spread.

Devices that capture circulating tumor cells from the blood of cancer patients are currently in use, but they cannot differentiate among the different types of tumor cells.

Cancer researchers and doctors are interested in methods that analyze

circulating tumor cells because they offer ways to determine how aggressive

tumors are without having to do biopsies.

Devices that capture circulating tumor cells from the blood of cancer

patients are currently in use, but they cannot differentiate among the

different types of tumor cells, they simply count them all. They do give an

indication of tumor aggressiveness - the more circulating tumor cells there

are, the higher the chance that the cancer is spreading. But they cannot

say, for example, whether a sample contains a high or low proportion of

more aggressive tumor cells.

In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Shana Kelley, a professor at

the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto in Canada,

and colleagues write about a new device they have developed that sorts

circulating tumor cells.

They describe how they used nanoparticles to tag the circulating tumor

cells, then used the device to sort them into discrete subgroups based on

their "phenotype" or observable molecular characteristics to provide a

snapshot of the tumor cells present in the blood of cancer patients.

Prof. Kelley says, "In the lab, we were able to demonstrate that the

tool was not only highly effective at differentiating these cells, but also

proved to be more sensitive than the current leading methods of cellular

sorting."

Prostate cancer patients showed marked

differences in circulating tumor cells

In their study, Prof. Kelley and her team, together with collaborators

at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, also in Toronto, and the London

Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, tested the new device on samples

collected from 20 patients with localized prostate cancer.

They found significant levels of circulating tumor cells in all the

patients. But not all the samples had the same mix - the subpopulation

profiles were quite varied - despite the fact the patients had all received

very similar clinical diagnoses.

Although their study only involved a small number of patients, the group

now plans to test the device with samples from patients with breast, colon,

ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers.

Prof. Kelley says they believe in the end they will show that the

sensitive technology in the device has the potential to provide useful

information about circulating tumor cells - leading to better diagnoses and

improved outcomes for patients.

"As a result, we are excited to pursue new research opportunities in an

effort to more accurately and less invasively diagnose and improve the

health outcomes for cancer patients," she adds.

Medical News Today recently learned that scientists are also getting

closer to developing a single blood test to

screen for several cancers, including rare types.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.