title: Detection of occult breast cancer cells by amplification of CK19 mRNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction: role of surgical manipulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess if surgical manipulation increases peripheral blood cancer cells dissemination in early stage (I and II) breast cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 64 patients using RT-PCR for cytokeratin-19 as a marker for peripheral blood breast cancer cell dissemination. Peripheral blood was obtained at 4 different time-points (24 hours before and after surgery, one week and one month later).
  
  
  RESULTS
  RT-PCR was positive in 14 (24%) out of 59 evaluable patients. Circulating cells were detected in 4 out of 14 patients before surgery (7%) while in the remaining 10, the positivity was observed after surgery (17%). The percentage of patients with occult breast cancer cells increased significantly after surgery (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1) 7% of early breast cancer patients had circulating tumor cells before surgery. 2) After surgery tumor cells were detected in 17% of patients. 3) Surgery significantly increased the presence of occult breast cancer cells. 4) The clinical significance of occult breast cancer cells should be tested within a larger clinical trial trying to assess their role as an independent prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Clínic de Malalties Hematològiques-Oncològiques (ICMHO), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. mgalan@ico.scs.es
authors.forename: Maica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viñolas
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Colomer
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Longarón
authors.forename: Pere Joan
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gascón
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estapé
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007633:Keratins