ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Micrometastasis is known as a significant predictor of prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. Recently, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been applied to detecting micrometastasis. The drainage vein and peritoneum were examined and the micrometastases assessed in a series of colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: 22 patients, who were histologically diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 8 patients of serosal and peritoneal brushing, were examined using RT-PCR to amplify the mRNAs for two epithelial markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 (CK-20). RESULTS: Among the 22 colorectal cancer patients, the positive rates of CK-20 and CEA mRNAs in the drainage vein were 10 (45%) and 7 (32%), and those of the serosal and peritoneal brushing were 6 (75%) and 5 (63%), respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the "no touch isolation technique" might be useful for operations in advanced colorectal cancer patients, and the brushing of the serosal or Douglas pouch can represent the micrometastasis status.