Jin Eva, Burnier Julia V
Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Ocul Oncol Pathol. 2021 Mar;7(1):1-16. doi: 10.1159/000508613. Epub 2020 Jul 29.
In the era of precision oncology, major strides are being made to use individual tumor information for clinical decision-making. Differing from traditional biopsy methods, the emerging practice of liquid biopsy provides a minimally invasive way of obtaining tumor cells and derived molecules. Liquid biopsy provides a means to detect and monitor disease progression, recurrence, and treatment response in a noninvasive way, and to potentially complement classical biopsy. Uveal melanoma (UM) is a unique malignancy, with diagnosis heavily reliant on imaging, few repeat biopsies, and a high rate of metastasis, which occurs hematogenously and often many years after diagnosis. In this disease setting, a noninvasive biomarker to detect, monitor, and study the disease in real time could lead to better disease understanding and patient care. While advances have been made in the detection of tumor-disseminated components, sensitivity and specificity remain important challenges. Ambiguity remains in how to interpret current findings and in how liquid biopsy can have a place in clinical practice. Related publications in UM are few compared to other cancers, but with further studies we may be able to uncover more about the biology of disseminated molecules and the mechanisms involved in the progression to metastasis.
在精准肿瘤学时代，人们正朝着利用个体肿瘤信息进行临床决策迈出重大步伐。与传统活检方法不同，新兴的液体活检实践提供了一种获取肿瘤细胞和衍生分子的微创方式。液体活检提供了一种以非侵入性方式检测和监测疾病进展、复发及治疗反应的手段，并有可能补充传统活检。葡萄膜黑色素瘤（UM）是一种独特的恶性肿瘤，其诊断严重依赖影像学检查，重复活检较少，转移率高，转移通过血行发生且往往在诊断多年后出现。在这种疾病背景下，一种能够实时检测、监测和研究该疾病的非侵入性生物标志物可能会带来对疾病更好的理解和对患者更好的治疗。虽然在检测肿瘤播散成分方面已取得进展，但敏感性和特异性仍然是重要挑战。在如何解读当前研究结果以及液体活检如何在临床实践中发挥作用方面仍存在模糊之处。与其他癌症相比，UM方面的相关出版物较少，但通过进一步研究，我们或许能够更多地了解播散分子的生物学特性以及转移进展过程中涉及的机制。
