U. S. scientists are making efforts along with private companies that will try and form a test that will detect even one stray cancer cell among several others that are present in the human body.

It is being thought that this test will be helpful in figuring out if the treatment given to a patient is working or not. The most effective treatment will also be known by the help of this test.

Circulating tumor cells, CTCs, is what the test will be relying on and these are those cancer cells that are traveling to other parts of the body after they have detached from the main tumor.

A microfluidic chip called CellSearch in 2007, was developed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital. This helped in counting the number of cells that were stray cancer cells, but scientists were unable to analyze whole cells by trapping them.

But an agreement was announced on Monday by Mass General with Veridex LLC, part of Johnson & Johnson, which is aimed at studying a newer version of the test. Only a couple of teaspoons of blood will be needed by the updated test.

Tens of thousands of tiny posts covered with antibodies designed to stick to tumor cells dots the microchip. Tumor cells adhere to the posts after getting separated from the pack as blood passes over the chip.

Scientists are hopeful that this test would be helpful in detecting cancer early if it is successful.