New test offers fresh hope in fight against prostate cancer
February 11th, 2009 Posted in prostate cancer diagnosisA more accurate test to check the progress of treatment for advanced prostate cancer could give fresh hope to men with the disease, researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York claimed yesterday.
Counting tumour cells in the bloodstream was found to be far more reliable than the blood marker currently used to track the disease, helping to concentrate treatment more effectively.
A study in The Lancet Oncology medical journal found counting number of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) helped doctors monitor progress before and after treatment.