Circulating Tumor Cells ― Advances in Basic Science and Clinical Applications

This volume provides the latest research on circulating tumor cells aimed for cancer researchers, scientists, and molecular oncologists. It presents the basic concepts behind circulating tumor cells (CTCs), metastatic biology, and potential applications as to how CTCs can be used in diagnostic biomarkers.

CTCs are cells that have detached from the primary tumor and circulate in the bloodstream. Such cells may become "seeds" for the growth of additional tumors. The field of analysis surrounding cancer metastasis has been steadily growing, and CTCs provide effective biomarkers that can be examined in peripheral blood through a minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” procedure. CTCs offer several exciting applications, not only as markers of disease progression but also as biomarkers of monitoring response to therapy and companion diagnostics for novel anticancer drug development. In recent years there has been rapid growth and worldwide developments on CTCs, which span both the basic sciences and biomedical engineering fields.

Richard J. Cote, M.D., is Chair, Department of Pathology, the University of Miami

Miller School of Medicine and the University of Miami Health System, and

Chief of Pathology, Jackson Memorial Hospital. As well, he is Director, the University of Miami Biomedical Nanoscience Institute. Dr. Cote, the recipient of more than $35 million in peer reviewed grant support, holds numerous patents for cancer-related and nanoscale technologies. Dr. Cote also serves as a member and advisor to numerous national and international study groups, cancer programs, and societies—including the National Cancer Institute. The editor and co-author of standard handbooks, Dr. Cote has published more than 300 scientific papers/documents, which have received 10,000 citations.

Ram Datar, Ph. D., is Co-Director, Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute, the University of Miami, Associate Professor, Pathology, Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Datar's areas of research focus include cancer

been involved in various aspects of detection and molecular characterization of occult metastases in cancers. For many years, he has also been involved in the development and application of micro- and nanoscale devices for biomedical diagnostic applications. His goal is to employ microfabrication and development of microfluidic devices to further novel technology

development, including biosensors and molecular methods to analyze expression profiles of cancers. Dr. Datar's many publications have received more than 2,200 citations.