Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy that arises from the mucosal epithelium of the nasopharynx, and its prognosis is relatively favorable. The 5-year overall survival rate in patients with locally advanced NPC currently exceeds 80%, but the development of individualized diagnosis and treatment at the molecular level is relatively lacking. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is the generic term for tumor cells that are present in the peripheral blood circulation. As a new biomarker with good clinical application prospects, the detection of CTCs has the advantages of being non-invasive, simple, and repeatable. By capturing and detecting CTCs in peripheral blood and monitoring the dynamic variation of its type and quantity, we can assess the biological characteristics of tumor in a timely manner and evaluate the therapeutic effect and prognosis of patients in advance, which will help to develop individualized treatments of tumors. The primary purposes of this review were the clinical application of CTCs in tumor stage determination, treatment efficacy evaluation, and prognosis prediction of NPC. In addition, we estimated the correlation between Epstein-Barr virus infection and CTCs and analyzed the difference in karyotypes and specific markers expressed on CTCs. We believe that our study will provide new insights and biomarkers for the individualized treatment of patients with NPC.
Highlights
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with regional distribution characteristics that occurs mostly in southern China, Southeast Asia, and Northern Africa [1]
Similar to epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) and stem cell-like properties, which lead to tumor progressions such as invasion and metastasis, Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have an important application value in clinical diagnosis, therapeutic effect evaluation, and prognosis prediction of malignancies (Figure 1)
Positive CTCs in peripheral blood was associated with N staging and indicated a poor prognosis in NPC patients
Summary
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with regional distribution characteristics that occurs mostly in southern China, Southeast Asia, and Northern Africa [1]. Similar to EMT and stem cell-like properties, which lead to tumor progressions such as invasion and metastasis, CTCs have an important application value in clinical diagnosis, therapeutic effect evaluation, and prognosis prediction of malignancies (Figure 1) . In a retrospective study including 50 patients with NPC, Zhang et al [24] found that a significant correlation did not exist between the detection rate of CTCs and clinical stage.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
