[Advances in research on circulating tumor cells in lung cancer]

Metastatic and recurrent tumors have been identified as the leading attribute to the lung cancer deaths. Cancer research has demonstrated the critical role circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play in the metastatic spread of carcinomas and the recurrence of lung cancer. The rapid advancement of technology in targeted therapy resolves the embarrassing situation for those late-stage patients whose tumor tissues cannot be obtained. CTCs, as a substitute for the tumor tissues, represent a decisive tool to the cancer treatment strategy. Thus, CTCs exert a fundamental role in the early detection of micro-metastasis, assisting in diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of the recurrent tumors, and subsequently choosing an individualized approach for the therapeutic treatment. This article will review the advances, which have been made in the research area of CTCs with the aid of its applications in cancer therapy.