CTCs are tumor cells circulating in the blood.

CTCs can be used for diagnosis, risk stratification and therapeutic decisions.

CTCs represent the only viable liquid biopsy analyte for functional characterization.

CTC lines allow to study CTC biology and screen for anti-metastatic drugs.

Over the past decade, novel methods for enrichment and identification of cancer cells circulating in the blood have been established. Blood-based detection of cancer cells and other tumor-associated products can be summarized under the term of Liquid Biopsy. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been used for diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment selection as well as treatment monitoring in several studies over the past years, thus representing a valuable biomarker for cancer patients. A plethora of methods to enrich, detect and analyze CTCs has been established. In contrast to other liquid biopsy analytes (e.g. ctDNA), CTCs represent a viable analyte that provides a unique opportunity to understand the underlaying biology of cancer and the metastatic cascade on the molecular level. In this review, we provide an overview on the current methods used for enrichment, detection, molecular and functional characterization of CTCs.

Circulating tumor cells

CTCs

Liquid biopsy

Enrichment methods

Molecular oncology

Personalized medicine

© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.