title: Prognostic and predictive biomarkers in early stage NSCLC: CTCs and serum/plasma markers.
abstract: Resection of early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) offers patients the best hope of cure, however recurrence rates post-resection remain high suggesting the presence of micro-metastatic disease at the time of surgery undetected by standard staging methods. A critical step in the metastatic cascade is the entry of tumor cells into the circulation enabling their distribution to and seeding of distant organs. This review explores the evidence for predictive and prognostic circulating biomarkers in the early stage NSCLC population. We summarize studies that have explored a variety of targets including circulating proteins, nucleic acids and more recently circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as potentially clinically relevant biomarkers in the early stage setting. Circulating biomarkers may add clinically relevant information about the biological behavior of tumors over and above that provided by pathological staging. Improvement in the stratification of patients according to the likelihood of metastatic relapse after radical treatments such as surgical resection could allow more effective targeting of systemic therapies such as adjuvant chemotherapy.
authors: North West Lung Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Wythenshawe, M23 9LT, UK ; ; Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester, M20 4BX, UK ;
authors: Philip A J
authors: PA
authors: Crosbie
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe, M23 9LT, UK ;
authors: Rajesh
authors: R
authors: Shah
authors: Pulmonary Oncology Unit, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe, M23 9LT, UK ; ; Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK.
authors: Yvonne
authors: Y
authors: Summers
authors: Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester, M20 4BX, UK ;
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Dive
authors: Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester, M20 4BX, UK ; ; Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK.
authors: Fiona
authors: F
authors: Blackhall
keywords: Early stage; biomarker; circulating; non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); predictive; prognostic