title: Circulating Tumor Cells as an Indicator of Postoperative Lung Cancer: A Case Report.
abstract: BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that are shed from primary tumors and circulate in the peripheral blood. CTCs, as a surrogate of micro-metastasis, can be a useful clinical marker, but their clinical significance remains unclear in lung cancer. We now report a case of lung cancer in which the count of CTCs was useful in monitoring postoperative recurrence. CASE REPORT A 50-year-old man had undergone right upper lobectomy for lung cancer (pT1bN2M0, stage IIIA adenocarcinoma), followed by cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy. After the patient's operation, we initiated monitoring of CTCs using CellSearch, and documented the change in the CTC count along with the development of cancer recurrence and response or progression to chemotherapy given for recurrent disease. CONCLUSIONS The CTC count may be useful in monitoring blood of patients with lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Taiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwata
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Rintarou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matumiya
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chikaishi
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inanishi
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating