[Can detection of cancer cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood be used in diagnosis and patient monitoring?].
The prognosis of patients with carcinomas is determined by whether there is dissemination of the primary tumour at the time of diagnosis. A substantial number of patients develop recurrent carcinoma, even though there were no clinical signs of dissemination at the time of primary surgery. Standard methods of tumor staging fail to identify those patients, who are at risk of recurrent disease. Recently several studies have demonstrated that the presence of occult metastatic carcinoma cells in the bone marrow increases the risk of recurrence. This risk is independent of traditional tumour staging, although the findings do not necessarily indicate later development of solid metastases. This review outlines the range of current applications of immunological and molecular methods for detecting disseminated carcinoma cells in blood and bone marrow aspirations, and discusses the applicability and significance of the findings.
Werther
K
K
H:S Hvidovre Hospital, kirurgisk gastroenterologisk afdeling.
Brünner
N A
NA
Nielsen
H J
HJ
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination / Q000379:methods*; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor