Circulating endothelial and endothelial progenitor cells in non-small-cell lung cancer
Tania Fleitas1, Vicenta Martínez-Sales, José Gómez-Codina
1Medical Oncology Department, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain. tfleitas@hotmail.com
Abstract:
New treatments have recently been introduced for treating non-small-cell lung cancer. Chemotherapeutic agents, such as pemetrexed, and targeted therapies, such as bevacizumab, erlotinib or gefitinib, have extended treatment options for selected histological subgroups. Antiangiogenic treatments, either associated with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs or given alone as maintenance therapy, constitute an active clinical research field. However, not all lung cancer patients benefit from antiangiogenic compounds. Moreover, tumour response assessment is often difficult when using these drugs, since targeted therapies generally do not cause rapid and measurable tumour shrinkage but, rather, long stabilisations and slight density changes on imaging tests. The finding of clinical or biological factors that might identify patients who will better benefit from these treatments, as well as identifying surrogate markers of tumour response and prognosis, is an issue of great interest. In that sense, different research lines have investigated the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) pathways. Circulating endothelial (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) are of prognostic value in different types of cancers, and relevant data are published about their potential usefulness as predictors of response to chemotherapy and antiangiogenic treatments. In this review, we discuss the data available on the role of CECs and CEPCs as prognostic factors and as surrogate markers of treatment response in non-small-cell lung cancer.
Insights
Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) show promise as prognostic factors and treatment response predictors for non-small-cell lung cancer patients receiving novel therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Novel treatments, including chemotherapy and targeted therapies (e.g., bevacizumab, erlotinib, gefitinib), have expanded options for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- Antiangiogenic therapies are a key research area, but patient benefit and response assessment remain challenging due to varied responses and subtle imaging changes.
- Identifying predictive biomarkers for treatment response and prognostic factors is crucial for optimizing NSCLC management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current data on circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) in NSCLC.
- To evaluate the role of CECs and CEPCs as prognostic factors in NSCLC.
- To assess the utility of CECs and CEPCs as surrogate markers for treatment response to chemotherapy and antiangiogenic therapies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating CECs and CEPCs in NSCLC.
- Analysis of data on the prognostic value of CECs and CEPCs.
- Examination of evidence for CECs and CEPCs as predictors of response to antiangiogenic and chemotherapeutic treatments.
Main Results:
- CECs and CEPCs have demonstrated prognostic value in various cancer types.
- Emerging data suggest CECs and CEPCs may predict response to chemotherapy and antiangiogenic treatments in NSCLC.
- Further research is needed to fully establish their role as reliable biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- CECs and CEPCs hold potential as valuable prognostic factors in NSCLC.
- These cell types may serve as surrogate markers to predict treatment response, particularly to antiangiogenic therapies.
- Further validation studies are warranted to integrate CECs and CEPCs into clinical practice for NSCLC management.
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