Emerging biomarkers in pulmonary metastasectomy

Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) with curative intent is a routinely performed surgical procedure in a variety of end-stage malignant diseases with secondary spreading to the lungs. Current selection criteria for PM are solely based on few clinical factors without regarding the biology and behavior of the underlying malignant disease. Hence, great variation in outcome and recurrence patterns after PM is reported in the literature. In a variety of therapeutic options, prognostic and predictive biomarkers have become an integral part in planning targeted therapies. However, data on biomarkers in PM is sparse. This review summarizes recently reported tissue-based and circulating molecular markers in patients receiving PM.