Review
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. May 10, 2014; 5(2): 114-124
Published online May 10, 2014. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v5.i2.114
Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and circulating tumour cells
Johannes Wikner, Alexander Gröbe, Klaus Pantel, Sabine Riethdorf
Johannes Wikner, Alexander Gröbe, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Klaus Pantel, Sabine Riethdorf, Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Author contributions: All of the authors substantially contributed to the conception and design of this paper, drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content and the approval of the final version; Wikner J performed the initial literature search, which was updated by the other authors.
Supported by Hamburger Stiftung zur Förderung der Krebsbekämpfung; No. 188 to Gröbe A and Riethdorf S; ERC Advanced Investigator Grant “DISSECT” (Pantel K), No. 269081
Correspondence to: Sabine Riethdorf, PhD, Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. s.riethdorf@uke.de
Telephone: +49-40-74151891 Fax: +49-40-741056546
Received: December 17, 2013
Revised: February 25, 2014
Accepted: March 13, 2014
Published online: May 10, 2014
Abstract

Due to a lack of substantial improvement in the outcome of patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) during the past decades, current staging methods need to be revised. This disease is associated with poor survival rates despite considerable advances in diagnosis and treatment. The early detection of metastases is an important indicator of survival, prognosis and relapse. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying metastasis is crucial. Exploring alternative measures apart from common procedures is needed to identify new prognostic markers. Similar to previous findings predominantly for other solid tumours, recently published studies demonstrate that circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) might serve as prognostic markers and could supplement routine staging in OSCC. Thus, the detection of CTCs/DTCs is a promising tool to determine the individual need for therapeutic intervention. Encouraging results and new approaches point to the future use of targeted therapies for OSCC, an exceedingly heterogeneous subgroup of head and neck cancer. This review focuses on summarising technologies currently used to detect CTCs/DTCs. The translational relevance for OSCC is highlighted. The inherent challenges in detecting CTCs/DTCs will be emphasised.

Keywords: Circulating tumour cells, Disseminated tumour cells, Oral squamous cell carcinoma, Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Bone marrow, Peripheral blood, Micrometastasis, Minimal residual disease, Epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Core tip: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), among head and neck cancer, is related to poor survival rates despite considerable advances in diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, detecting tumour cell dissemination early and understanding the underlying mechanisms are crucial for predicting prognosis, relapse and survival. According to previous findings, circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) might serve as prognostic markers to supplement routine staging and support determining individual therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on summarising the current knowledge about the detection of CTCs/DTCs with special emphasis on patients suffering from OSCC. The translational relevance of CTCs/DTCs and challenges for clinical application are highlighted.