ABSTRACT

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Due to a lack of reliable markers, HNSCC patients are usually diagnosed at a late stage, which will lead to a worse outcome. Therefore, it is critical to improve the clinical management of cancer patients. Nowadays, the development of liquid biopsy enables a minimally invasive manner to extract molecular information from HNSCCs. Thus, this review aims to outline the clinical value of liquid biopsy in early detection, real-time monitoring, and prognostic evaluation of HNSCC.

Areas covered: This comprehensive review focused on the characteristics as well as clinical applications of three liquid biopsy markers (CTCs, ctDNA, and exosomes) in HNSCC. What is more, it is promising to incorporate machine learning and 3D organoid models in the liquid biopsy of HNSCC.

Expert opinion: Liquid biopsy provides a noninvasive technique to reflect the inter and intra-lesional heterogeneity through the detection of tumor cells or materials released from the primary and secondary tumors. Recently, some evolving technologies have the potential to combine with liquid biopsy to improve clinical management of HNSCC patients.

摘要

简介: 头颈部鳞状细胞癌 (HNSCC) 是全球最常见的癌症之一。由于缺乏可靠的标志物，HNSCC患者通常被诊断为晚期，这将导致更差的结果。因此，改善癌症患者的临床管理至关重要。如今，液体活检的发展使得能够以微创方式从 HNSCC 中提取分子信息。因此，本综述旨在概述液体活检在 HNSCC 早期检测、实时监测和预后评估中的临床价值。

涵盖的领域：本综述重点关注三种液体活检标志物（CTC、ctDNA 和外泌体）在 HNSCC 中的特征和临床应用。更重要的是，将机器学习和 3D 类器官模型结合到 HNSCC 的液体活检中是有希望的。

专家意见：液体活检提供了一种无创技术，通过检测原发和继发肿瘤释放的肿瘤细胞或物质来反映病灶间和病灶内的异质性。最近，一些不断发展的技术有可能与液体活检相结合，以改善 HNSCC 患者的临床管理。