Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells and Their Implications as a Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognostication, and Therapeutic Monitoring in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the leading causes of worldwide cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Poor prognosis of HCC is attributed primarily to tumor presentation at an advanced stage when there is no effective treatment to achieve the long term survival of patients. Currently available tests such as alpha-fetoprotein have limited accuracy as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker for HCC. Liver biopsy provides tissue that can reveal tumor biology but it is not used routinely due to its invasiveness and risk of tumor seeding, especially in early-stage patients. Liver biopsy is also limited in revealing comprehensive tumor biology due to intratumoral heterogeneity. There is a clear need for new biomarkers to improve HCC detection, prognostication, prediction of treatment resp

SUBMITTER: Ahn JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8183673 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature