TY - JOUR
T1 - Stem-like plasticity and heterogeneity of circulating tumor cells
T2 - Current status and prospect challenges in liver cancer
AU - Correnti, Margherita
AU - Raggi, Chiara
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Poor prognosis and high recurrence remain leading causes of primary liver cancer-associated mortality. The spread of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood plays a major role in the initiation of metastasis and tumor recurrence after surgery. Nevertheless, only a subset of CTCs can survive, migrate to distant sites and establish secondary tumors. Consistent with cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis, stemlike CTCs might represent a potential source for cancer relapse and distant metastasis. Thus, identification of stem-like metastasis-initiating CTC-subset may provide useful clinically prognostic information. This review will emphasize the most relevant findings of CTCs in the context of stem-like biology associated to liver carcinogenesis. In this view, the emerging field of stem-like CTCs may deliver substantial contribution in liver cancer field in order to move to personalized approaches for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.
AB - Poor prognosis and high recurrence remain leading causes of primary liver cancer-associated mortality. The spread of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood plays a major role in the initiation of metastasis and tumor recurrence after surgery. Nevertheless, only a subset of CTCs can survive, migrate to distant sites and establish secondary tumors. Consistent with cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis, stemlike CTCs might represent a potential source for cancer relapse and distant metastasis. Thus, identification of stem-like metastasis-initiating CTC-subset may provide useful clinically prognostic information. This review will emphasize the most relevant findings of CTCs in the context of stem-like biology associated to liver carcinogenesis. In this view, the emerging field of stem-like CTCs may deliver substantial contribution in liver cancer field in order to move to personalized approaches for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.
KW - Cancer stem cells
KW - Circulating tumor cells
KW - Primary liver cancer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85010749657&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.18632/oncotarget.12569
DO - 10.18632/oncotarget.12569
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85010749657
VL - 8
SP - 7094
EP - 7115
JO - Oncotarget
JF - Oncotarget
SN - 1949-2553
IS - 4
ER -