Mouse Models of Colorectal Cancer-Derived Circulating Tumor Cells

Metastasis is the major cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the biologic correlate of metastasis. Despite the clinical relevance of CTCs, there has been little progress in understanding their biology in detail; particularly the phenotype of CTCs with metastasis-forming capacities is still unknown. In this article we discuss the benefits and limitations of mouse models of CRC-derived CTCs.