Clinical significance of detecting circulating tumor cells in patients with lung cancer in early stage / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the feasibility and clinical significance of detecting circulating tumor cells(CTCs) in peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer in early stage. Methods Three groups of patients (Group A 15 cases with early stage lung cancer; Group B 20 cases with benign pulmonary disease; Group C 20 healthy volunteers) were enrolled for detection of CTCs using immunomagnetic separation(IMS)+ immunocytochemistry(ICC) method and RT-PCR method. The patients in Group A were followed up for 6-9 months. Results By using IMS+ICC it was revealed that in 5 cases of Group A the result was positive, while it was negative in all cases of Group B and Group C. By using RT-PCR method, the result was positive in 7 cases of Group A, 8 cases of Group B and 6 cases of Group C. In the follow-up period, 2 patients of Group A, who were found positive for CTC before and after operation, showed recurrence. Conclusion IMS + ICC method was a sensitive method to detect CTCs in patients with early stage NSCLC. The detection of CTCs in patients with early stage lung cancer might be a relationship with the clinical prognosis of the patient.