What is CTC?
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that circulate in the blood. When cancer begins to grow, cancer cells enter blood vessels and circulate throughout the body. These cancer cells in the blood are called “Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs). The term “cancer” here refers to malignant neoplasms of epithelial origin, including colorectal, lung, breast, prostate, bladder, and stomach cancers. Leukemia and malignant lymphoma of blood origin are not covered.
Incidence and Mortality of Cancer
Cancer diagnosis rates (based on 2019 data)
Cancer mortality (based on 2022 data)
What is the Ultra-early Cancer Detection Test?
- Very early detection of cancer
- Genetic analysis of cancer (for the purpose of detecting resistance to anticancer drugs and malignancy)
- Cancer progression
- Recurrence and metastasis surveillance
The above four points can be known, allowing for ultra-early detection of cancer, detection of recurrence, etc., and ultra-early detection of small cancers in the bloodstream, which are difficult to detect by general tests.
Generally, cancer tumors take 10 to 20 years to grow to about 1 cm in size, so ultra-early detection helps to ensure treatment time.
What the CTC Scancer Test reveals
Very early detection of cancer
It can detect minute cancer cells that are difficult to find with conventional imaging diagnosis. This makes it possible to detect cancer cells at a very small stage, enabling early treatment.
Genetic analysis of cancer
By analyzing the genes in the collected CTC, the characteristics and types of cancer cells can be identified.
Cancer Progression Assessment
By measuring the number of CTC in the blood, it is possible to assess how advanced the cancer is.
Inspection Flow
Reservation
Call to make an appointment for a consultation. We will refer you to the nearest clinic.
Medical examination
(It is also possible remotely) There is no charge for the consultation. The doctor will explain the details of the examination.
Drawing blood
Draw 8 ML of blood.
Sample Shipping
Samples are shipped to the laboratory.
Report of results
Results will be returned via email in about two weeks. Subsequent physician consultations are available if the patient requires them. (For an additional fee)
※No charge for pre-inspection consultation.
There is a possibility of cancer recurrence or new growth. After consultation with a physician, imaging studies including CT, MRI, and PET scans are recommended.
Very Early Cancer Detection Testing
Price List
| Scancer CTC Test (Basic) | JPY 180,000 (excluding tax) JPY 198,000 (including tax) |
| Scancer CTC Test (Individual Tumor) | JPY 240,000 (excluding tax) JPY 264,000 (including tax) |
| Scancer CTC Test (Advanced) | JPY 500,000 (excluding tax) JPY 550,000 (including tax) |
| Consultation Fee for Test Results | 30 minutes JPY 4,400 (including tax) |
| High-Dose Vitamin C Infusion 50g | Per Session JPY 25,000 (excluding tax) JPY 27,500 (including tax) |
Early diagnosis of CTC testing
Studies have shown that cancer cells can be found in the blood of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It has been reported that these cancer cells may be detected 1-4 years before lung cancer is actually clinically diagnosed. For this reason, the Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) test may be helpful in the early diagnosis of tumors.
| Diagnostic Tools | Monitoring Items | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Scancer CTC Test | CTC | Can monitor tumor development in real time and provide timely feedback on treatment efficacy within 1-3 weeks, warn of tumor metastasis and risk of recurrence 2-6 months in advance |
| Image diagnosis | Ultrasound, X-ray, CT, PET-CT, etc. | Tumors are detected only when they reach a certain volume, but they are delayed and do not provide a means of real-time monitoring due to radiation and other factors |
| Blood Test | Tumor Marker | Indirectly reflects tumor status, cannot directly provide information on tumor progression, and lacks specificity |
| Pathological Test | Tissue biopsy sections Immunohistochemistry, etc. | Requires obtaining tumor tissue after puncture biopsy or surgery, which is difficult to collect and cannot be a real-time monitoring tool |
Microfluidic Instrumentation Method
Cell Reveal is a device that effectively separates and detects cancer cells in blood for the detection of CTC (Circulating Tumor Cells). First, blood collected from the patient is introduced into the device with microscopic flow paths and separated from other blood components using the characteristics of cancer cells (e.g., surface markers). This method can detect cancer cells with high sensitivity and specificity, and is useful for early diagnosis and monitoring. We are conducting CTC testing in Japan in collaboration with CytoAurora.
