Circulating tumor cell (CTC)

A circulating tumor cell (CTC) is a rogue cancer cell that has broken off of the primary tumor and enters the bloodstream. CTC enumeration correlates with therapeutic response. By tracking the number of CTCs in a patient’s blood sample, doctors will be informed earlier whether a treatment is, or is not working. Currently, Veridex (CellSearch) is the only FDA-approved CTC enumeration device.