Lu Linyao, Hu Wei, Liu Bingli, Yang Tao
Center for Medical Research and Innovation, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai 201399, China.
Department of Urology, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai 201399, China.
Cancers (Basel). 2022 Aug 18;14(16):3985. doi: 10.3390/cancers14163985.
Prostate cancer (PCa) exhibits high cellular heterogeneity across patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more real-time and accurate detection methods, in both prognosis and treatment in clinical settings. Circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters, a population of tumor cells and non-malignant cells in the blood of patients with tumors, are a promising non-invasive tool for screening PCa progression and identifying potential benefit groups. CTC clusters are associated with tumor metastasis and possess stem-like characteristics, which are likely attributable to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Additionally, these biological properties of CTC clusters, particularly androgen receptor V7, have indicated the potential to reflect curative effects, guide treatment modalities, and predict prognosis in PCa patients. Here, we discuss the role of CTC clusters in the mechanisms underlying PCa metastasis and clinical applications, with the aim of informing more appropriate clinical decisions, and ultimately, improving the overall survival of PCa patients.
前列腺癌（PCa）在不同患者中表现出高度的细胞异质性。因此，在临床环境中的预后和治疗方面，迫切需要更实时、准确的检测方法。循环肿瘤细胞（CTC）簇是肿瘤患者血液中的一群肿瘤细胞和非恶性细胞，是一种有前景的非侵入性工具，可用于筛查PCa进展并识别潜在受益群体。CTC簇与肿瘤转移相关，并具有干细胞样特征，这可能归因于上皮-间质转化（EMT）。此外，CTC簇的这些生物学特性，特别是雄激素受体V7，已显示出反映治疗效果、指导治疗方式和预测PCa患者预后的潜力。在此，我们讨论CTC簇在PCa转移机制和临床应用中的作用，旨在为更合适的临床决策提供依据，并最终提高PCa患者的总生存率。
