What are CTC and CTM?
CTC is an acronym for Circulating Tumor Cell. These are tumor cells that have shed from new or existing tumors and entered the bloodstream. This can occur in cancer patients as early as stage one, and are detectable months to years before traditional cancer detective imaging shows anything.
CTC is not to be confused with CTM, which is an acronym for Circulating Tumor Microemboli. While they are similar, CTMs are clusters of two or more CTCs. The presence of CTM indicates a dramatically elevated risk of metastatic potential. These clusters are 50x more metastatic than single CTCs.
CTM & Metastatic Concerns
The National Cancer Institute claims that over 90% of cancer deaths result from metastasis. Metastasis occurs when the primary tumor site sheds cancer cells to other areas of the body. This metastatic spread is often driven by CTMs that are rampant within the bloodstream.
Tumors can shed upwards of a million cells into the bloodstream every day. Due to the large volume, the formation of CTM is inevitable, which are more resistant to immune clearance. Not only are these clusters strongly associated with fast-spreading cancers, but they can grow and obstruct microvessels in critical organs which may lead to stroke or infarct-like events.
