Detection and clinical significance of circulating tumor cells in pa-tients with gastric cancer / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Objective: To detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with gastric cancer and evaluate the relationship among CTCs, clinico-pathological characteristics, and prognosis of gastric cancer. Methods: Peripheral blood samples (10 mL in EDTA) were obtained from 45 patients with gastric cancer. CTCs were detected using density-gradient centrifugation and immunofluo-rescence staining. The clinical significance of the two methods were also compared and investigated. Results:CTC-positive case was defined by the presence of at least one CK19 (+)-CTC per 10 mL of the sample. CTCs were found in 27 of the 45 patients with gastric cancer. The presence of CTCs was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and recurrence (P=0.007, 0.035, 0.035, respectively). However, CTCs were not significantly correlated with sex, age, tumor location, TNM staging, and tumor differentiation (P>0.05). Conclusion:CTCs were associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer.