Levine Danielle, Fisher David E
Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Methods Mol Biol. 2014;1102:177-97. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-727-3_11.
Melanoma is the most life-threatening common form of skin cancer. While most cutaneous melanomas are cured by surgical resection, a minority will relapse locally, regionally, or distantly. Biomarkers have represented a focal point for research aimed at improving diagnostic accuracy as well as providing prognostic information that may help to guide therapeutic decisions. While systemic melanoma therapies were of extremely limited utility for patients with advanced disease in the past, two drugs have been approved the FDA within the past several years, and it is possible that they may provide even greater impact if employed earlier in the disease process. To optimally employ these therapies, prognostic biomarkers may offer significant value. This article reviews methodologies for both discovery and routine testing of melanoma biomarkers. It also focuses on specific commonly used markers, as well as approaches to studying their applications to specific clinical settings. As the armamentarium of melanoma drugs grows, it is hoped that specific biomarkers will aid in guiding the use of these agents for patients in the clinic.
黑色素瘤是最具生命威胁的常见皮肤癌形式。虽然大多数皮肤黑色素瘤可通过手术切除治愈，但少数会在局部、区域或远处复发。生物标志物一直是旨在提高诊断准确性以及提供有助于指导治疗决策的预后信息的研究重点。过去，全身黑色素瘤疗法对晚期疾病患者的效用极为有限，但在过去几年中，有两种药物已获美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准，并且如果在疾病进程中更早使用，它们可能会产生更大的影响。为了最佳地应用这些疗法，预后生物标志物可能具有重要价值。本文综述了黑色素瘤生物标志物的发现和常规检测方法。它还重点介绍了特定的常用标志物，以及研究它们在特定临床环境中应用的方法。随着黑色素瘤药物的不断增加，希望特定的生物标志物将有助于指导临床患者使用这些药物。
