Resumen

ARVELO, Francisco. Micrometastases: strategies for detection. Invest. clín [online]. 2013, vol.54, n.2, pp.206-225. ISSN 0535-5133.

Micrometastasis or minimal residual disease has become critically important in oncology since it represents a true clinical problem that must be solved, as the response of these tumor foci to the different treatments that are used for the control of cancer, is still unknown. Even though this is a fundamental specific problem to be solved, there are already immunohistochemical and molecular biology diagnostic methods that have allowed microfoci location of tumor cells in various organs and tissues, and different techniques are available to determine and quantify these lesions. Within these techniques, flow cytometry and different molecular methods are included, and they range from the traditional to the newest and most sophisticated. The goal of this review was aimed to evaluate new diagnostic methods that permit the identification of this residual disease, which would serve to establish individualized treatments and prevent the recurrence of the disease in cancer patients under treatment.

Palabras clave : cancer; metastases; micrometastases; minimal residual disease; immunehistochemistry; molecular biology; tumor markers.

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