循环肿瘤细胞(circulating tumor cells,CTCs)是从原发性肿瘤脱落进入循环系统,并且作为引发癌症转移到远端的种子,目前CTCs已成为多种类型癌症,如乳腺癌,肺癌,前列腺癌和结肠直肠癌等诊断、预后和预测的生物标志物,但其在头颈部肿瘤中的研究相对较少。本文主要对CTCs的特性、检测手段及其在头颈部肿瘤中的应用进行回顾。 Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are shed from the primary tumor into the circulatory system, and as a seed that triggers cancer metastasis to the distal end, currently CTCs have become many types of cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and Biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and prognosis of colorectal cancer, but their research in head and neck cancers is relatively rare. This article reviews the characteristics and detection methods of CTCs and their applications in head and neck cancers.