| CPC G01N 33/574 (2013.01) [G01N 33/5005 (2013.01); G01N 33/5091 (2013.01); G01N 33/57415 (2013.01); G01N 33/57423 (2013.01); G01N 33/5743 (2013.01); G01N 33/57434 (2013.01); G01N 33/57438 (2013.01); G01N 33/57446 (2013.01); G01N 2800/52 (2013.01); G01N 2800/56 (2013.01); G01N 2800/7028 (2013.01)] | 13 Claims |
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1. A method for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment in a subject having cancer, wherein the method comprises:
(a) obtaining a first population of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a first biological sample of a subject having cancer,
(b) screening the first population for CTCs in a mitotic cell cycle phase,
(c) identifying CTCs of (b) in a mitotic cell cycle phase,
(d) administering a cancer treatment to the subject,
(e) obtaining a second population of CTCs from a second biological sample of the subject after treatment,
(f) screening the second population for CTCs in a mitotic cell cycle phase, and
(g) identifying CTCs of (f) in a mitotic cell cycle phase,
wherein CTCs in a mitotic cell cycle phase are identified using a nuclear stain selected from the group consisting of a DAPI dye, a Hoechst dye, a Sytox dye, and a propidium iodide dye, or a colorimetric stain selected from the group consisting of a H&E (hematoxylin and eosin) stain, hematoxylin, kernechtrot dye, methyl green, and methylene blue, and
wherein when an increase in the number of mitotic CTCs in the second population versus the first population or an increase in the mitotic index calculated for the second population versus the first population is found, the treatment is determined to be ineffective and an alternative cancer treatment is administered to the subject.
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