Open Access

Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer: Precision diagnosis and therapy (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Weiwei Liu
    • Binbin Yin
    • Xuchu Wang
    • Pan Yu
    • Xiuzhi Duan
    • Chunhua Liu
    • Ben Wang
    • Zhihua Tao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 7, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.6332
  • Pages: 1223-1232
  • Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

The primary cause of tumor-associated mortality in prostate cancer (PCa) remains distant metastasis. The dissemination of tumor cells from the primary tumor to distant sites through the bloodstream cannot be detected early by standard imaging methods. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent an effective prognostic and predictive biomarker, which are able to monitor efficacy of adjuvant therapies, detect early development of metastases, and finally, assess therapeutic responses of advanced disease earlier than traditional diagnostic methods. In addition, since repeated tissue biopsies are invasive, costly and not always feasible, the assessment of tumor characteristics on CTCs, by a peripheral blood sample as a liquid biopsy, represents an attractive opportunity. The implementation of molecular and genomic characterization of CTCs may contribute to improve the treatment selection and thus, to move toward more precise diagnosis and therapy in PCa. The present study summarizes the current advances in CTC enrichment and detection strategies and reviews how CTCs may contribute to significant insights in the metastatic process, as well as how they may be utilized in clinical application in PCa. Although it is proposed that CTCs may offer insights into the prognosis and management of PCa, there are a number of challenges in the study of circulating tumor cells, and their clinical utility remains under investigation.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

August-2017
Volume 14 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Liu W, Yin B, Wang X, Yu P, Duan X, Liu C, Wang B and Tao Z: Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer: Precision diagnosis and therapy (Review). Oncol Lett 14: 1223-1232, 2017
APA
Liu, W., Yin, B., Wang, X., Yu, P., Duan, X., Liu, C. ... Tao, Z. (2017). Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer: Precision diagnosis and therapy (Review). Oncology Letters, 14, 1223-1232. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.6332
MLA
Liu, W., Yin, B., Wang, X., Yu, P., Duan, X., Liu, C., Wang, B., Tao, Z."Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer: Precision diagnosis and therapy (Review)". Oncology Letters 14.2 (2017): 1223-1232.
Chicago
Liu, W., Yin, B., Wang, X., Yu, P., Duan, X., Liu, C., Wang, B., Tao, Z."Circulating tumor cells in prostate cancer: Precision diagnosis and therapy (Review)". Oncology Letters 14, no. 2 (2017): 1223-1232. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.6332