Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal; Urology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.
Urology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.
Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2021 May;161:103331. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103331. Epub 2021 Apr 20.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have a potential role as the missing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) biomarker. However, the available evidence is limited, and detection methods lack standardization, hindering clinical use. We performed a systematic review on CTC enrichment and detection methods, and its role as a biomarker in RCC. Full-text screening identified 54 studies. Reviewed studies showed wide heterogeneity, low evidence level, and high risk of bias. Various CTC detection platforms and molecular markers have been used, but none has proven to be superior. CTC detection and CTC count seem to correlate with staging and survival outcomes, although evidence is inconsistent. CTC research is still in an exploratory phase, particularly in RCC. Further studies are still necessary to achieve a standardization of techniques, molecular markers, CTC definitions, and terminology. This is essential to ascertain the role of CTCs as a biomarker and guide future liquid biopsy research in RCC.
循环肿瘤细胞（CTCs）作为一种潜在的肾细胞癌（RCC）生物标志物具有重要意义。然而，目前的证据有限，检测方法缺乏标准化，限制了其临床应用。我们对 CTC 富集和检测方法及其在 RCC 中的作为生物标志物的作用进行了系统评价。全文筛选确定了 54 项研究。综述研究显示出广泛的异质性、低证据水平和高偏倚风险。已经使用了各种 CTC 检测平台和分子标记物，但没有一种被证明是优越的。CTC 检测和 CTC 计数似乎与分期和生存结局相关，但证据不一致。CTC 研究仍处于探索阶段，特别是在 RCC 中。仍需要进一步的研究来实现技术、分子标记物、CTC 定义和术语的标准化。这对于确定 CTC 作为生物标志物的作用以及指导未来 RCC 的液体活检研究至关重要。
