Liquid Biopsy for Cutaneous Melanoma: Opportunities and Challenges in Detecting and Characterizing Circulating Tumor...

Advances in techniques to identify and enumerate circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral blood of patients with cancer have made liquid biopsy a promising tool. However, detecting CTC as prognostic markers for the risk of recurrence in patients diagnosed with primary cancer remains challenging. The currently available methods have many limitations, specifically the lack of selectivity. Novel approaches and sensors that leverage melanoma cell surface markers and improve the specific detection of intact melanoma cells in blood are needed. Refinements in biosensor development and multiplexed microfluidic platforms are poised to make point-of-care devices for the better management of melanoma.