The use of the PSA as a prostate cancer screening tool has been a controversial issue for many years. Within the last year the issue has again come to the forefront of the public awareness, especially because of the recent move of the U.S Preventative Task Force to discourage using the PSA as a screening tool . One of the ways that has been used to approach this question is to develop a better bio-marker to serve both as a screening tool and as a predictor of the responsiveness to treatment. If such a marker could be identified, we could make better decisions about who should be treated and for how long a specific treatment should be continued. This better biomarker could reduce the suffering brought about by unnecessary treatment as well as save many dollars.
Recently, circulating tumor cells (CTC’s) have been evaluated to serve as this possible marker. Studies have shown that in early stages of cancer it can begin the process of shedding cancer cells into the circulatory system. (Okegawa T, Nutahara K, etal; Prognostic Significance of Circulating Tumor Cellsin Patients with Hormonal Refractory Cancer, J Urol, March 2009. 181:1091-1097). These CTC’s can provide a handle into the intrinsic property of the tumors offering valuable information that can inform patient management (Danila, D, Heller G, etal, Circulating Tumor Cell Number in Progression, castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Clinical Cancer Res, December 2007; 13(23) 7053-7).
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