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Once you are diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) and have begun therapy, it is important for the doctor to regularly assess your prognosis. By monitoring you throughout your treatment, your doctor can make more-informed decisions about your care.
Traditional methods of monitoring include: - physical exams
- laboratory tests
- serum tumor markers
Another common method involves radiographic imaging, such as the CT scan. Imaging is performed at certain intervals of time― typically starting about 12 weeks after a particular therapy has begun―and is used to measure changes in the size of the tumor to determine if therapy is having an effect.
Another, newer method for monitoring MCRC is the CellSearch™ CTC Test. Unlike imaging, the CTC test counts the number of cancer cells that have broken away from the tumor and are currently circulating in the blood stream. Clinical studies have shown that detection of these cells can predict disease progression and survival in patients with MCRC.
A CTC test can be performed at the start of therapy, and then as early as the end of the first cycle of therapy. There’s no need to wait 12 weeks, as is the case with imaging. This flexibility allows doctors to make informed patient care decisions earlier.
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