ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body. It accounts for up to 90 percent of all cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. That fact has motivated one University of Central Florida researcher to develop an innovative way to track the cells in order to stop the cancer in its track. Liquid biopsy
Whether it’s breast, lung, colon, or thyroid cancer, metastases is always something to worry about.
Professor and Head of the Cancer Division at the University of Central Florida, Annette Khaled explains, “There’s no way to track metastatic cancer cells. Right now, we really don’t have any technology to do that.”
Professor Khaled and her colleagues are working to fix this. With a new method called a liquid biopsy, they can take any body fluid – like blood, urine, or saliva – and analyze it for tumor cell shedding.
“We’re using a specific marker to find those cells. It’s never been used before,” Professor Khaled adds.
Cancer cells that shed into blood can come from any part of the tumor. So, using a marker like the chaperonin complex that identifies dangerous cancer cells circulating in blood could not only alert doctors that a patient is relapsing or not responding to treatments, but could help other ways.
“This will help to pick up the cancers in their early stage of metastases, before they had a chance, really, to spread throughout the body. And the earlier you can identify a patient with metastases, the better chance for successful treatments,” Professor Khaled further explains.
Although this method is still experimental, the UCF research team used the FDA-approved cell-search system. The system can isolate, photograph and count cancer cells from a single tube of blood and was adapted for detection of the chaperonin complex in blood cells.
Contributors to this news report include: Adahlia Thomas, Associate Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer & Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2021/02/newsletter-metastatic-cancer
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: LIQUID BIOPSY FOR METASTATIC CANCER
REPORT: MB #5246
BACKGROUND: According to the National Cancer Institute, metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from its origin. For example, a lung cancer tumor could spread to the brain, and although the cancer has spread to the brain, it is still called lung cancer. Ninety percent of all cancer deaths in the United States are caused by metastatic cancer. Cancer most commonly spreads to the bone, liver, and/or lungs.
SYMPTOMS & DIAGNOSING: The severity of metastatic cancer symptoms depends on the size and location of the tumor(s). The most common symptoms include, but are not limited to fractures, headaches, seizures, dizziness, shortness of breath, and/or jaundice. Metastatic cancer can be diagnosed with blood tests, tumor markers, or imaging, like CT scans, MRIs, bone scans, and ultrasounds.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: University of Central Florida is leading a study in identifying metastatic cancer cells earlier with a new method called liquid biopsy. The research involves analyzing any bodily fluid – like blood, saliva, or urine – to track the progression of the tumor. This method could allow for earlier detection for when cancer has spread and thus give patients the opportunity to receive treatments earlier.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Christin Senior
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