SYSTEMS AND METHODS EMPLOYING HUMAN STEM CELL MARKERS FOR DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CIRCULATING TUMOR CELLS

摘要

The invention relates to systems and methods to detect circulating tumor cells in a blood sample obtained from a cancer patient. Further, this invention relates to systems and methods to determine a diagnosis or prognosis of aggressive and metastatic cancer by determining the presence and/or level of circulating tumor cells in a blood sample obtained from a cancer patient. The detection and diagnosis is based on the presence or absence of cells that express podocalyxin and/or TRA biomarkers.