Circulating tumor cells in gastric cancer

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have received a lot of attention as a novel biomarker for cancer research in past decades. CTCs infiltrate the bloodstream derived from the primary tumor, and are significantly involved in cancer metastasis and recurrence. Although clinical applications have been challenging owing to the difficulties of CTC identification, recent development of technology for specific enrichment and detection of CTCs contributes to diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, CTC analyses will shed new light on the biological mechanisms of cancer progression and metastasis. A number of clinical studies have already been carried out on the basis of CTC technology. Nevertheless, the clinical utility of CTCs is still unknown in gastric cancer. In this review, we elaborate on the latest advances of CTC research in gastric