Circulating tumor cells: personalized medicine in interventional oncology?

Innovative technologic advancements have expanded the ability of interventional radiologists to capture and visualize directly tumor cells that have intravasated into the circulation. The detection of these circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is revolutionizing the understanding of the pathogenesis of metastasis and is paving the way for exquisitely sensitive techniques to detect malignancy, monitor recurrence, and prognosticate outcomes. In this review, the prevailing theories on the pathobiology of metastasis and the tools that have been developed to investigate CTCs are summarized. The tremendous impact CTCs are likely to have in oncology is discussed, with particular emphasis on their relevance to interventional oncology.