Effective cancer therapy: Patients benefit from monitoring circulating tumour cells
Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:36:08 +0100
(Bayreuth, March 25th 2014) Considering the rising number of cancer cases it becomes increasingly important to offer to the patients concerned reliable monitoring and control of the success of the applied therapy. To improve the chances of cure, imminent development of metastases must be detected as early as possible. The determination of the circulating tumour cells by the maintrac® approach has turned out as an ideal tool for this purpose. Cells can disseminate from every solid tumour (breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer etc.), as soon as the tumour is connected to the blood circulation.
Maintrac® is the only method that allows a quantitative analysis of the circulating epithelial tumour cells. A decision can be made on the basis of repeated measurements of circulating tumour cells: If the cell number rises during the therapy, it can be assumed that the tumour is still active. This can result in the formation of metastases or regrowth of the primary tumour. However, a decrease in the cell number is a sign for successful therapy.
More than 500 patients have been analyzed in the frame of clinical studies using this approach. In addition, in Bayreuth, routine analyses using the maintrac® platform have been performed for more than 8000 cancer patients. Molecular studies have been published and are on-going to extend the potential of the circulating tumour cells.
It requires a simple blood test to determine the circulating tumour cells using the maintrac® approach. The prerequisite for application of the maintrac® approach is that the tumour a carcinoma. Carcinomas account for approximately 80 % of all malignant tumours.
For more information, see www.maintrac.de.
About maintrac®:
Based in Bayreuth SIMFO Special Immunology Research + Development GmbH is a medically and biologically oriented research institution with high expertise for personalized diagnostics and therapy monitoring. Particular focus lies on the development of innovative analytical methods for assessing cytostatic drugs in tumour therapy and success control. SIMFO is responsible for the international distribution of maintrac®.