Diagnostic use of epitope detection in monocytes blood test for early detection of colon cancer metastasis.

A follow-up strategy in cancer aftercare can result in early detection of metastasis and/or recurrence. Therefore, sensitive and reliable diagnostic tests that are easy to perform are needed. Here, the authors present the combined use of the epitope detection in monocytes (EDIM)-TKTL1 and EDIM-Apo10 blood test in aftercare monitoring of a patient with colon carcinoma. Whereas the established tumor markers CEA and CA19-9 did not indicate metastasis even at a timepoint where clinical signs and imaging techniques already demonstrated metastasis, the combined application of the EDIM-TKTL1 and the EDIM-Apo10 blood tests was positive 9 months before detection of metastasis. These findings - taken together with recently published evaluation data of the EDIM-TKTL1 blood test - suggest that the combined application of the EDIM-TKTL1 and the EDIM-Apo10 blood tests might indicate metastasis earlier than established tumor markers and could serve as sensitive and noninvasive methods that might be used for early detection of colon cancer metastasis.