Circulating tumor cells as a diagnostic test for malignant pleural mesothelioma

The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may have important prognostic and therapeutic implications; therefore, we expect a broader range of tumor types in which CTC detection and count will routinely be conducted in the coming years. This article evaluates the application of CTC as a potentially useful diagnostic and prognostic test in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MMe). MMe is a rare but increasingly prevalent, highly aggressive asbestos exposure-related tumor. MMe develops after long time latency, is rarely diagnosed at early stages, is poorly sensitive to conventional treatments and presents a very short survival upon diagnosis. Pursuing research of CTC in MMe can represent a very important task for all the clinical and preclinical scientists working on blood biomarkers of this tumor. Possibly in combination with other diagnostic tools, such as a thoracoscopy and advanced imaging, CTC can represent a promising tool for MMe prognosis and follow-up. Further studies to confirm value of CTC test in MMe are warranted. © 2012 Informa UK, Ltd.