An observational study in Prostate Cancer, sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to male participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-20.
Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital · Observational
This study will evaluate a method to detect tumor cells that are circulating in the blood without getting a biopsy. The investigators already know from other studies that cancer tumors shed a small number of cells into the bloodstream every day. These are called circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Some early studies indicate the amount and type of CTCs in the blood can help determine the status of the tumor itself and the way it is responding to treatment. In this study, the investigators will compare the number of CTCs in the blood at different time frames before and after surgery to remove the prostate.
The investigators will collect a blood sample for the study when the participant has other blood tests drawn for their cancer treatment. The investigators will take one sample to check prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and another blood sample for CTC analysis. The investigators will be drawing blood at the following time points: Screening; One day after surgery; 7-14 days after surgery; 3-6 months after surgery; at PSA recurrence or at two years.
7,046 studies on the registry are indexed under Prostatic Neoplasms; 1,580 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 200 is close to the median of 200 across 1,310 observational studies indexed under Prostatic Neoplasms.
Browse Prostatic Neoplasms studies →Massachusetts General Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,586 studies on the registry; 447 are open to participants now.
Of its 222 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 168 (76%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Men with prostate cancer that will be undergoing prostatectomy at Massachusetts General Hospital
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Histologically or cytologically confirmed
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Subjects with prostate cancer diagnosed on prostate biopsy who undergo radical prostatectomy at Massachusetts General Hospital
Relationship between CTC quantity and pathologic stage
To evaluate the relationship between pre-operative CTC quantity and pathologic stage in men with early stage prostate cancer undergoing prostatectomy. Processing of the pathology specimen will require up to 2 weeks after surgery.
Time frame: Up to 2 weeks after prostatectomy
Persistent CTC and biochemical recurrence
To examine the relationship between persistent CTCs and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer
Time frame: 2 year
Compare chromosome translocation status
To compare the chromosome translocation status (TMPRSS2 fusion with ETS-related genes ERG, ETV1, ETV4, or ETV5) in CTCs with the primary tumor, and examine potential correlations between specific chromosomal translocations with biochemical recurrence.
Time frame: 2 years
Explore other uses of CTCs captured
To explore hypotheses about other uses of the CTCs captured with teh CTC-Chip, or the RNA or protein isolated from the CTCs, from the patients with localized prostate cancer for potential research and clinical applications.
Time frame: 10 years
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
The record gives a start of Apr 2010, a primary completion of Dec 2026 and a completion of Dec 2026. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.
Since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026, the dates moved once, on Oct 20, 2026: primary completion Dec 2025 → Dec 2026 and completion Dec 2025 → Dec 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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