title: Current Understanding of Circulating Tumor Cells - Potential Value in Malignancies of the Central Nervous System.
abstract: Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood via so-called "liquid biopsies" carries enormous clinical potential in malignancies of the central nervous system (CNS) because of the potential to follow disease evolution with a blood test, without the need for repeat neurosurgical procedures with their inherent risk of patient morbidity. To date, studies in non-CNS malignancies, particularly in breast cancer, show increasing reproducibility of detection methods for these rare tumor cells in the circulation. However, no method has yet received full recommendation to use in clinical practice, in part because of lack of a sufficient evidence base regarding clinical utility. In CNS malignancies, one of the main challenges is finding a suitable biomarker for identification of these cells, because automated systems, such as the widely used Cell Search system, are reliant on markers, such as the epithelial cell adhesion molecule, which are not present in CNS tumors. This review examines methods for CTC enrichment and detection, and reviews the progress in non-CNS tumors and the potential for using this technique in human brain tumors.
authors: Department of Cellular Pathology, North Bristol NHS Trust , Bristol , UK.
authors: Lukasz A
authors: LA
authors: Adamczyk
authors: Brain Tumor Research Group, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, North Bristol NHS Trust , Bristol , UK.
authors: Hannah
authors: H
authors: Williams
authors: IGF and Metabolic Endocrinology Group, School of Clinical Sciences, North Bristol NHS Trust, University of Bristol , Bristol , UK.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Frankow
authors: Brain Tumor Research Group, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, North Bristol NHS Trust , Bristol , UK.
authors: Hayley Patricia
authors: HP
authors: Ellis
authors: Brain Tumor Research Group, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, North Bristol NHS Trust , Bristol , UK.
authors: Harry R
authors: HR
authors: Haynes
authors: IGF and Metabolic Endocrinology Group, School of Clinical Sciences, North Bristol NHS Trust, University of Bristol , Bristol , UK.
authors: Claire
authors: C
authors: Perks
authors: IGF and Metabolic Endocrinology Group, School of Clinical Sciences, North Bristol NHS Trust, University of Bristol , Bristol , UK.
authors: Jeff M P
authors: JM
authors: Holly
authors: Brain Tumor Research Group, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, North Bristol NHS Trust , Bristol , UK.
authors: Kathreena M
authors: KM
authors: Kurian
keywords: circulating tumor cells; epithelial–mesenchymal transition; glioblastoma multiforme; glioma; liquid biopsy