Comparing tumour heterogeneity in primary tumour, circulating tumour cells and metastases

NSCLC spreads using the blood. Tumour cells in the circulating system are called circulating tumour cells, and are deemed the cause of metastases, making CTCs a mayor factor in therapy efficacy and prognosis. We believe that the different compartments (original tumour, metastases and CTCs) will have differences in the genetic make up that could give insight in the metastatic process and shed light on so called 'trunc' and 'branch' mutations. To study all different compartments in detail, we will ask terminal patients to participate in a so called obduction study. After a patients death, we will obtain biopsies of the metastases and the primary tumour. When this is done the patients body will be returned to the family for burial.

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Terminal patients are included after their informed consent and that of their families is received. We will withdraw some blood for analysis on CTCs. After the participants death, we will perform a warm autopsy to obtain samples from the primary tumour and its metastases. The patients body will subsequently be returned to the family for burial.