title: Circulating tumor cells in high-risk nonmetastatic colorectal cancer.
abstract: The identification of patients at higher risk of recurrence after primary colorectal cancer resection is currently one of the challenges facing medical oncologists. Circulating tumor cell (CTC) may represent a surrogate marker of an early spread of disease in patients without overt metastases. Thirty-seven high-risk stages II-III colorectal cancer patients were evaluated for the presence of CTC. Enumeration of CTCs in 7.5 ml of blood was carried out with the FDA-cleared CellSearch system. CTC count was performed after primary tumor resection and before the start of adjuvant therapy. CTC was detected in 22 % of patients with a significant correlation with regional lymph nodes involvement and stage of disease. No significant correlation was found among the presence of CTC and other clinicopathological parameters. These data suggest that CTCs detection might help in the selection of high-risk stage II colorectal cancer patient candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 000161, Rome, Italy, paola.gazzaniga@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gazzaniga
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gianni
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gradilone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Orietta
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gandini
authors.forename: Silverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomao
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frati
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk
references.citation: Ann Oncol. 2009 Jul;20(7):1223-9
references.pmid: 19282466
references.citation: Lancet Oncol. 2012 Jul;13(7):688-95
references.pmid: 22677156
references.citation: Ann Oncol. 2012 Sep;23(9):2352-2356
references.pmid: 22351740
references.citation: Anticancer Res. 2011 Feb;31(2):613-7
references.pmid: 21378346
references.citation: Anticancer Res. 2009 Nov;29(11):4839-43
references.pmid: 20032444
references.citation: Ann Oncol. 2008 May;19(5):935-8
references.pmid: 18212090
references.citation: Eur J Surg Oncol. 2011 Jun;37(6):459-65
references.pmid: 21324632