Detection of EpCAM-negative circulating tumor cells by using VyCAP filters technology

Einleitung/Zielsetzung: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are epithelial cells identified in the peripheral blood stream of epithelial cancer and are believed to be their metastatic precursors. Their exact composition is unknown. It has been discovered that they possess similar characteristics as their primary tumor but also show different phenotypes ranging from epithelial to mesenchymal. Detection of CTCs in peripheral blood provides prognostic information and might also represent an alternative to the invasive bone marrow biopsy. Nowadays CTCs are mostly detected and enriched by EpCAM-based enrichment systems. H…