Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Chlordecone exposure and its hidden burden on human health: mechanisms, epidemiology, and biomonitoring.

The Science of the total environment·2026
Same author

Repurposing Artesunate to Combat Progression and Metastasis via Targeting Circulating Tumor Cells.

Oncology research·2026
Same author

When effective anticancer therapies are, in fact, destabilizing the tumor's Group Phenotypic Composition.

NPJ precision oncology·2026
Same author

Integrating immunopeptidomics with liquid biopsy for precision oncology.

Molecular aspects of medicine·2026
Same author

Liquid biopsy reveals the immune status and protein profiles linked to CTC burden and clinical outcomes in metastatic breast cancer.

Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR·2026
Same author

Transcriptional profiling of circulating extracellular vesicles from prebiopsy prostate cancer patients.

Molecular oncology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

High-sensitivity Detection of Micrometastases Generated by GFP Lentivirus-transduced Organoids Cultured from a Patient-derived Colon Tumor
09:16

High-sensitivity Detection of Micrometastases Generated by GFP Lentivirus-transduced Organoids Cultured from a Patient-derived Colon Tumor

Published on: June 14, 2018

Cancer micrometastases.

Klaus Pantel1, Catherine Alix-Panabières, Sabine Riethdorf

  • 1Institute of Tumour Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg, Germany. pantel@uke.uni-hamburg.de

Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|April 29, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Detecting early cancer spread is challenging. New blood tests for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and bone marrow disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) offer hope for prognosis and therapy monitoring.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Early tumor cell spread (micrometastases) often evades standard imaging.
  • Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood and disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow are detectable in cancer patients without overt metastases.
  • Bone marrow is a common site for tumor cells from various epithelial cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical relevance of recent findings on blood-borne cancer micrometastases.
  • To highlight the prognostic and therapeutic monitoring potential of CTCs and DTCs.
  • To explore the role of molecular characterization in understanding cancer dormancy and identifying metastatic stem cells.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current cytometric, immunological, and molecular detection methods for CTCs and DTCs.

More Related Videos

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment
05:17

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment

Published on: May 14, 2019

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases
09:48

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases

Published on: August 23, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

High-sensitivity Detection of Micrometastases Generated by GFP Lentivirus-transduced Organoids Cultured from a Patient-derived Colon Tumor
09:16

High-sensitivity Detection of Micrometastases Generated by GFP Lentivirus-transduced Organoids Cultured from a Patient-derived Colon Tumor

Published on: June 14, 2018

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment
05:17

Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment

Published on: May 14, 2019

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases
09:48

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases

Published on: August 23, 2024

  • Analysis of data on the prognostic impact of DTCs, particularly in breast cancer.
  • Assessment of the convenience and clinical utility of peripheral blood CTC analysis versus bone marrow DTC analysis.

    • Main Results:

    • Level 1a data confirm the prognostic value of bone marrow DTCs in breast cancer patients.
    • Peripheral blood CTC analysis is more convenient for solid tumor patients and is being evaluated for prognosis and therapy monitoring.
    • Molecular characterization of CTCs/DTCs provides insights into cancer dormancy and potential therapeutic targets.

    Conclusions:

    • Detection of CTCs and DTCs represents a significant advancement in managing cancer micrometastases.
    • These blood-borne markers hold promise for personalized cancer treatment strategies.
    • Further research into molecular characterization may lead to novel therapies targeting metastatic processes.