Circulating cancer cells are only found in some cases with advanced tumors. They are difficult to distinguish from other rare blood cells. Whereas the high permeability of the tumor vessel seems to facilitate the passage of tumor cells into the blood and tumor cells are often found in the blood of tumor bearing animals, circulating cancer cells do not indicate metastasis in every case. Cell vitality and sticking of the cells at the vessel wall are imported factors, which can be influenced by chemotherapy and blood coagulation. Whe think that the influence of a biopsy on the spreading of tumor cells in the blood is negligibly small.
Biopsy - cancer cells - metastasis - tumor-host-relationship
