摘要
The vast majority of cancer deaths(>94%)are due to the development of metastatic disease with a considerable fraction of patients experiencing metastatic relapse within five years from primary tumor resection,despite not having any detectable metastasis at that time.Circulating tumor cells(CTCs)are shed from primary/metastatic tumors,circulate in the peripheral vasculature,disseminate to distant tissues,and extravasate by adapting to the new organ microenvironment,followed by tissue colonization generating metastasis.However,the complexities of the metastatic cascade in cancer patients and the elucidation of blood-based mechanisms underlying metastatic onset remain critical challenges.
