Detection and Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells by Quantitative Real-Time PCR.

We propose two different approaches involving the use of quantitative real-time PCR for the detection or analysis of circulating tumor cells. In one case cells are indirectly identified through the expression of a marker mRNA, while in the other one cells are enriched by size prior to be submitted to mutational analysis for a specific target. Both methods have been successfully applied to the study of circulating melanoma cells.