Spector Matthew E, Farlow Janice L, Haring Catherine T, Brenner J Chad, Birkeland Andrew C
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Rogel Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Discov Med. 2018 May;25(139):251-257.
Head and neck cancers consist of a heterogeneous group of cancers that are difficult to treat successfully. Limited screening options result in patients being diagnosed at advanced stages at presentation, and difficulty with treatment options and post-treatment surveillance can lead to poor outcomes. In this setting, tools for early and precise detection of disease will be highly valuable. Liquid biopsies, or use of analytes in blood, saliva, and other body fluid samples, provide new avenues for cancer screening with the potential for early detection, treatment modification, and surveillance of head and neck cancers. Early studies of liquid biopsies in specific head and neck cancers have had encouraging results. Nevertheless, various challenges remain before its routine adoption into clinical use is feasible. With continued advancement in the field of liquid biopsies, there is great promise for clinical implementation and significant improvement in head and neck cancer care.
头颈癌是一组异质性癌症，难以成功治疗。筛查选择有限导致患者在就诊时被诊断为晚期，治疗选择和治疗后监测的困难可能导致不良后果。在这种情况下，早期精确检测疾病的工具将非常有价值。液体活检，即使用血液、唾液和其他体液样本中的分析物，为癌症筛查提供了新途径，具有早期检测、调整治疗方案和监测头颈癌的潜力。早期针对特定头颈癌的液体活检研究取得了令人鼓舞的结果。然而，在其常规应用于临床之前，仍存在各种挑战。随着液体活检领域的不断进步，头颈癌护理的临床应用前景广阔，有望显著改善。
