# International expert consensus on the clinical integration of circulating tumor cells in solid tumors

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-nicolo-ctc-consensus-ejc-2025/  
OnCo record `paper-nicolo-ctc-consensus-ejc-2025` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A 37-expert consensus supported selected circulating tumour cell uses in metastatic breast and prostate cancer but said most other uses remain investigational. It identified CellSearch as the only platform with high-level clinical-use evidence and did not evaluate or endorse RGCC tests.

## Summary

Eleven experts designed a structured survey that 37 international specialists completed. The panel reached consensus on selected prognostic and monitoring uses of circulating tumour cells in metastatic breast and prostate cancer and on AR-V7 testing for treatment selection in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. It judged early-stage use and most other tumour settings investigational.

The panel stated that CellSearch was the only platform with high-level evidence for clinical use. It called molecular and phenotypic treatment guidance promising but in need of standardised workflows and robust prospective data. This is context for the CTC field, not validation of RGCC's capture, culture, expression or drug-sensitivity methods.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Tags: ctc; consensus; clinical-utility
- Journal: European Journal of Cancer
- Year: 2025
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2025.116050
- Authors: Nicolò E, Reduzzi C, Pierga JY, et al.
- Findings: Consensus supported selected prognostic and treatment-monitoring roles in metastatic breast and prostate cancer.; The panel supported AR-V7 testing for treatment selection in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.; Most other tumour settings and early-stage applications remained investigational.; CellSearch was identified as the only platform with high-level evidence for clinical use.
- What it means: Evidence for one validated circulating tumour cell platform or one defined biomarker cannot be transferred automatically to every CTC assay. A branded test needs its own analytical validation, clinical validation and evidence that acting on the result helps patients.
- Caveats: Expert consensus is not a randomised clinical trial and depends on the evidence available to the panel.; The paper discusses the CTC field broadly and does not test RGCC or any of its branded panels.; A corrigendum was published in 2026; it did not turn the paper into product-specific validation.

## Sources

- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41172567/
- Publisher article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2025.116050
- University of New Mexico repository record: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_path_pubs/438/
- 2026 corrigendum: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2025.116167

## Connected records

- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)
- technologies: [CellSearch circulating tumour cell count](https://onco.cc/technologies/cellsearch-ctc-count/), [Circulating tumour cell capture](https://onco.cc/technologies/ctc-capture/), [Liquid biopsy (ctDNA)](https://onco.cc/technologies/liquid-biopsy/)
- companies: [RGCC International](https://onco.cc/companies/rgcc-international/)

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