title: Circulating tumour cells and survival of patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognostic significance of the presence of tumour cells in the blood of gastric cancer patients remains unclear. Their occurrence and its association with the stage of disease and long-term survival was determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven patients with stage I-IV gastric cancer were divided into two groups: these with and these without circulating tumour cells that were identified as cytokeratin positive (CK+) cells among CD45- cells (obtained by sorting of CD45+ leukocytes).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumour cells were detected prior surgery in the peripheral blood of 54.4% patients but no clear association with the stage of disease was observed. After gastrectomy detection rate was 21.1%. There was no significant difference in the 5-year survival of patients, with or without CK+ in the blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of circulating tumour cells is of no prognostic value in patients with resectable gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Polish-American Institute of Paediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-663 Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pituch-Noworolska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolodziejczyk
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kulig
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Drabik
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szczepanik
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czupryna
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Popiela
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zembala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C516769:PTPRC protein, human