A new study reveals that in the prediction of treatment outcome for castration-resistant prostate cancer, a change in circulating tumor cells detection might be more accurate than the change in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. The findings of this award-winning study were presented at the recent EAU 13th Central European Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic (http://cem2013.uroweb.org/) October 4-6, 2013. "The research of the circulating tumor cells (CTC) is of utmost importance, because nowadays there is no reliable marker of both cancer-specific or overall survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients," explained the lead author of the study, Dr. Otakar Čapoun, of the Department of Urology at General Teaching Hospital Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. "The goal of this study is to assess the possibility of the individualization of castration-resistant prostate cancer management. In cases with no favorable change in CTC detection during chemotherapy, the early switching to another therapy should be considered," commented Dr. Čapoun on the implications of the study, which was supported by the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. Protocol of the grant project included the collection of peripheral blood from patients with metastatic CRPC prior to docetaxel therapy and after the fourth cycle of chemotherapy (CTX). Circulating tumor cells were detected by using a method of immunomagnetic separation. In the course of the study, multiplex PCR was performed after cytolysis of CTC and the expression of tumor-associated antigens (PSA, PSMA, and EGFR) was quantified. The methodology of the study was based on verbal evaluation, together with a report of the absolute values (ng/ml).Login Or Register To Read Full Story