Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Department of Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă", 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Cells. 2022 Nov 4;11(21):3493. doi: 10.3390/cells11213493.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third most prevalent cancer worldwide and a leading cause of mortality among the population of western countries. However, CRC is frequently a preventable malignancy due to various screening tests being available. While failing to obtain real-time data, current screening methods (either endoscopic or stool-based tests) also require disagreeable preparation protocols and tissue sampling through invasive procedures, rendering adherence to CRC screening programs suboptimal. In this context, the necessity for novel, less invasive biomarkers able to identify and assess cancer at an early stage is evident. Liquid biopsy comes as a promising minimally invasive diagnostic tool, able to provide comprehensive information on tumor heterogeneity and dynamics during carcinogenesis. This review focuses on the potential use of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating nucleic acids (CNAs) and extracellular vesicles as emerging liquid biopsy markers with clinical application in the setting of CRC screening. The review also examines the opportunity to implement liquid biopsy analysis during everyday practice and provides highlights on clinical trials researching blood tests designed for early cancer diagnosis. Additionally, the review explores potential applications of liquid biopsies in the era of immunotherapy.
结直肠癌（CRC）是全球第三大常见癌症，也是西方国家人口死亡的主要原因。然而，由于有多种筛查测试可供使用，CRC 通常是一种可预防的恶性肿瘤。目前的筛查方法（内镜或粪便检测）虽然无法实时获取数据，但也需要令人不适的准备方案和通过侵入性程序进行组织采样，这使得 CRC 筛查计划的依从性并不理想。在这种情况下，显然需要新型的、微创的生物标志物，以便能够在早期识别和评估癌症。液体活检是一种很有前途的微创诊断工具，能够提供肿瘤异质性和癌变过程中动态的全面信息。本文综述了循环肿瘤细胞（CTC）、循环核酸（CNA）和细胞外囊泡作为新兴液体活检标志物的潜在用途，及其在 CRC 筛查中的临床应用。本文还探讨了在日常实践中实施液体活检分析的机会，并重点介绍了旨在早期诊断癌症的血液检测临床试验。此外，本文还探讨了液体活检在免疫治疗时代的潜在应用。
