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Updated: May 27, 2026
Adaptation of Semiautomated Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Assays for Clinical and Preclinical Research Applications
Published on: February 28, 2014
Detection of circulating tumor cells in advanced head and neck cancer using the CellSearch system
Anthony C Nichols1, Lori E Lowes, Christopher C T Szeto
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Anthony.Nichols@lhsc.on.ca
Background:
Early detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) offers the possibility of improved outcome for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC).
Methods:
Patients with advanced-stage HNSCC (stage III/IV) were tested for CTCs using the CellSearch system (a registered trade name), which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for monitoring CTCs in other cancers.
Results:
CTCs were detected in 6 of 15 patients with advanced-stage HNSCC (range, 1-2 cells/7.5 mL of blood). CTCs were significantly associated with patients with lung nodules >1 cm (p = .04). There was also a suggestion of improved survival in the CTC-negative versus the CTC-positive patients (p = .11).
Conclusions:
CTCs can be successfully isolated in patients with advanced-stage HNSCC using the CellSearch system. CTC detection may be important for prognosis, evaluating treatment outcome, and for determining efficacy of adjuvant treatments.
