Transcript-Based Detection of Circulating Melanoma Cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells shed by the primary tumor or its metastases that circulate in the peripheral blood. CTCs are potential seeds for metastases, and their detection may allow early uncovering of metastatic dissemination and disease prognostication. To fully ascertain the biomarker potential of melanoma CTCs, sensitive and reliable methods are required. Melanoma-specific transcript analysis has been widely utilized as a standard approach for measuring the presence of CTCs. Here we describe a method for the analysis of CTCs through the detection of specific transcripts in CTC-enriched fractions.