PATIENT INFORMATION: MAINTRAC TESTS
Maintrac CTC/CETC Count
Escapee cancer cells in the blood, or 'CTC/CETCs' as they are known, can be found by a simple blood test. A CTC/CETC Count test finds existing escapee cancer cells (CTC/CETCs) in a blood sample and counts them.
Monitoring changes in cancer activity over time is made easy with this test
A CTC/CETC Count every 3-6 months is the best way to:
Monitor the effectiveness of cancer treatment
Assess changes in cancer aggressiveness
Determine risk of cancer spread, recurrence or relapse
Maintrac Customised Chemosensitivity
Some CTC/CETCs can hide in the blood stream for months or years before activating and forming a second tumour. Some CTC/CETCs may even resist treatment. This test analyses how a person's CTC/CETCs respond when exposed to a recommended chemotherapy regimen or botanical treatment. CTC/CETCs that die or survive exposure are said to be ‘sensitive’ or ‘resistant’ to the tested treatment, respectively.
Recommended therapies can now be tested.
Each test is customised specifically for each patient by the requesting practitioner.
Maintrac's Customised Chemosensitivity test can be used to:
Analyse if a person’s CTC/CETCs are sensitive or resistant to a recommended treatment
Assist practitioners in deciding on a treatment plan
Increase confidence in the therapy’s ability to reduce cancer spread effectively
Maintrac Companion Diagnostics
Biomarker analysis can be used to identify receptors that are targets for treatment, to assess the potential for cancer spread or to assist in diagnosis. The identification of certain receptors on a person's CTC/CETCs may help practitioners design personalised treatment strategies.
Such treatments target each person’s individual metastasising cancer cells via their existing receptors.
Clues about cancer aggressiveness, activity and likelihood of cancer spread can also be ascertained by the monitoring of particular biomarker presence.
A close look at the activity of biomarker genes and receptor presence on a person’s CTC/CETCs is now possible. Each test is customised specifically for each patient by the requesting practitioner. The Maintrac® Companion Diagnostics test can be used by practitioners to:
Test patient-eligibility for certain targeted therapies
Select and tailor treatments specifically for the unique nature of each person’s cancer
Monitor the effectiveness of hormone-blockade therapies
Maintrac Tumour Sphere Units
Some CTCs may have stem-cell qualities. These CTC/CETCs may have the ability to hide from treatment and form a second tumour, called a metastasis. This test determines whether a person’s CTC/CETCs can multiply to form microscopic clusters, called Tumour Sphere Units, in the laboratory. CTC/CETCs that can form clusters have stem cell qualities, rendering them more resistant to treatment and capable of initiating metastatic spread of cancer.
Assessing the risk of cancer spread is now possible. Maintrac® Tumour Sphere Units test can be used to:
Determine the level of aggressiveness of a person’s cancer
Assess the potential for cancer spread
Detect the risk of metastasis, a second tumour, early