RE: NHS blood test to ‘revolutionise’ cancer treatment - Theguardian30 May 2025 09:59
A real, and unavoidable problem for Parsortix is that it only finds CTCs when they exist ! That is, when the original tumour starts to metastasise. Even when metastasis is occurring, CTCs are not guaranteed, as was shown in a paper I quoted many months back. So, for early detection of a primary, ctDNA, with all its drawbacks and lack of detail, remains the best option. This will be helped increasingly by use of AI. So the joint approach, of using CTcs and DNA analysis improves the quality of info obtained, but the CTC s are never guaranteed, and that is the fundamental weakness of Parsortix. So I fear it will remain a pharma based tool used in the development of new therapy rather than a clinical tool.
As a LTH I hate to have to say this!