title: Prognostic information derived from RT-PCR analysis of peritoneal fluid in gastric cancer patients: results from a prospective multicenter clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to define the clinical significance of the molecular analysis of peritoneal lavage fluid in patients with gastric cancer in a multicenter prospective trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative RT-PCR with CEA and CK-20 mRNA as target markers was introduced for peritoneal lavage diagnosis in 141 patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer from 9 different institutes. We then evaluated the prognostic factors in patients and also evaluated predictive markers for peritoneal recurrence in 124 patients without peritoneal metastasis at surgery
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 141 cases, 140 patients were successfully analyzed by RT-PCR of peritoneal lavage fluids. According to multivariate analysis, the combined results of RT-PCR (CEA and CK-20) and CK-20 alone in addition to pathological N (pN)-stage were significantly correlated with overall survival. Multivariate analysis showed that the RT-PCR (CEA and CK-20) and CEA alone in addition to pathological T-stage, pN-stage, and histological grade were significantly correlated with peritoneal recurrence after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first multicenter prospective study to show that RT-PCR analysis of peritoneal lavage fluid with the combination of CEA and CK-20 markers was useful for predicting overall survival and peritoneal recurrence in patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Kansai Rosai Hospital, Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinuta
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiratsuka
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D053554:Keratin-20 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000473:pathology*; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D053554:Keratin-20
keywords: RT-PCR; gastric cancer; micrometastasis; molecular biology; peritoneal dissemination