Circulating Tumor Cells as a Promising Tool for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Mahsa Salehi,
Zohre Miri Lavasani,
Hani Keshavarz Alikhani,
Bahare Shokouhian,
Moustapha Hassan,
Mustapha Najimi,
Massoud Vosough
Affiliations
Mahsa Salehi
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran
Zohre Miri Lavasani
Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1983969411, Iran
Hani Keshavarz Alikhani
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran
Bahare Shokouhian
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran
Moustapha Hassan
Experimental Cancer Medicine, Institution for Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
Mustapha Najimi
Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
Massoud Vosough
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Tehran 1665666311, Iran
Liver cancer is a significant contributor to the cancer burden, and its incidence rates have recently increased in almost all countries. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Because of the late diagnosis and lack of efficient therapeutic modality for advanced stages of HCC, the death rate continues to increase by ~2–3% per year. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are promising tools for early diagnosis, precise prognosis, and follow-up of therapeutic responses. They can be considered to be an innovative biomarker for the early detection of tumors and targeted molecular therapy. In this review, we briefly discuss the novel materials and technologies applied for the practical isolation and detection of CTCs in HCC. Also, the clinical value of CTC detection in HCC is highlighted.
