Because the ISET® filtration process isolates intact CTCs, it has been possible to validate those classical cytopathological criteria used in exfoliative cytopathology are reliable for CTC diagnosis (Hofman et al. 2011 Am J Clin Pathol, Hofman et al. 2012 Cytopathology).
Nuclear size equal or larger than 16 microns, irregularity of the nuclear contour, irregularity of the chromatin, presence of a visible cytoplasm, and high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio (>0.8) are the cytopathological criteria used for CTC diagnosis (Hofman et al. 2011 Clin Cancer Res). ISET® isolates and identifies all types of CTCs and CTMs (Vona et al. 2000 Am J Pathol, Khoja et al. 2014 Melanoma Res, Mazzini et al. 2014 Cancers, Chinen et al. 2014 Oncotargets Ther, Massard et al. 2016 Oncotarget, Long et al. 2016 Cancer Med, Fanelli et al. 2017 Head and Neck).