Professor Patrizia Paterlini-Bréchot, a renowned expert in cell biology and oncology at the University of Paris-Descartes' Necker-Enfants Malades Faculty of Medicine, has pioneered ISET—a groundbreaking system for detecting tumor cells in blood even before cancer develops. This innovation holds immense promise for revolutionizing early diagnosis.
The ISET platform performs an ultra-sensitive analysis on just 10 milliliters of blood to identify circulating tumor cells. As Prof. Paterlini-Bréchot shared with Ouest-France, "it’s about identifying these cancerous cells even before they’re detectable on medical imaging." While it doesn’t yet specify the tumor’s organ of origin, clinicians can target high-risk areas like the prostate in men and breasts in women based on patient history and predispositions. The professor is optimistic that ISET will significantly lower cancer mortality rates and eventually become a routine blood test. For now, it’s available only at biologist-pharmacist Olivier Roy’s Paris lab for €486, without Social Security reimbursement—but widespread adoption is the goal.
Prof. Paterlini-Bréchot’s quest traces back to her time as a hematological oncologist in her hometown of Modena, Italy. Witnessing a patient’s rapid decline from aggressive cancer left her powerless and resolute to fight the disease.
Her ISET invention could democratize early detection, potentially transforming cancer outcomes. Time will tell, but the potential is profound.
