Circulating tumour cells for early detection of clinically relevant cancer.
Nat Rev Clin Oncol
; 20(7): 487-500, 2023 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37268719
ABSTRACT
Given that cancer mortality is usually a result of late diagnosis, efforts in the field of early detection are paramount to reducing cancer-related deaths and improving patient outcomes. Increasing evidence indicates that metastasis is an early event in patients with aggressive cancers, often occurring even before primary lesions are clinically detectable. Metastases are usually formed from cancer cells that spread to distant non-malignant tissues via the blood circulation, termed circulating tumour cells (CTCs). CTCs have been detected in patients with early stage cancers and, owing to their association with metastasis, might indicate the presence of aggressive disease, thus providing a possible means to expedite diagnosis and treatment initiation for such patients while avoiding overdiagnosis and overtreatment of those with slow-growing, indolent tumours. The utility of CTCs as an early diagnostic tool has been investigated, although further improvements in the efficiency of CTC detection are required. In this Perspective, we discuss the clinical significance of early haematogenous dissemination of cancer cells, the potential of CTCs to facilitate early detection of clinically relevant cancers, and the technological advances that might improve CTC capture and, thus, diagnostic performance in this setting.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Células Neoplásicas Circulantes
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article