One scientist commented that just being able to do a blood test to find tumors is a huge breakthrough and opens up more new avenues instead of having to rely only on biopsies and CAT scans. “If the number of cancer cells in the bloodstream falls, treatment is probably working. If they increase, it means the tumor is growing, and suggests the need for a new approach.” 
It is called a CTC-chip and is able to accurately identify bloodstream cancer cells. The study involved 27 cancer patients in each test it was correct and afterwards all the genetic features anticipated were there and detected. The test takes 8 hours to run and more groups of patients will be tested. BD
Boston researchers have developed a test that can identify minute amounts of tumor cells floating in the blood of cancer patients, a discovery that could lead to better treatments with fewer side effects. The technology, invented at Massachusetts General Hospital, uses a microchip scanner no bigger than a business card to analyze a patient's blood, hunting for stray cells shed by tumors. The device is so powerful that it can detect a single cancer cell among 1 billion healthy blood cells.
Mass. General's approach brings together two of the hottest fields in cancer research: the incredibly tiny devices of nanotechnology, and personalized medicine - tailoring treatments to individual patients.
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