Article
Circulating tumor cells in neuroendocrine neoplasms
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Published: | April 26, 2013 |
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Introduction: We (and others) have previously shown that neuroendocrine neoplasias (NEN) express EpCAM with increasing malignancy. Concluding on this we performed a prospective analyzed study for examing circulating tumor cells in blood of patients with NEN.
Material and methods: 29 patients with NEN (pancreas n=8; ileum n=12; pancreatic glucagonomatose n=2; colon n=2; n=1 (uterus, appendix, paracoxygeal, gastric, prostate) were evaluated prospectively by blood samples drawn for CTC isolation. Patients were classified according the TNM-classification. 7.5ml peripheral blood was analysed using the CellSearch® System for the presence of CTCs. We correlated the CTC count with progressive/non-progressive disease, presence/absence of metastases, MiB-1 and Chromogranin A level.
Results: In 55% of the investigated patients (n=16) we detected CTCs with a range of 1-35. There was a strong correlation between CTC detection and progressive disease (metastases) (94%/n=15). Only a moderate correlation was seen between CTC levels and metastatic burden and between CTC`s and Chromogranin A level. In cases with stable disease (n=13) (no metastases; low Chromogranin A level etc.) CTCs were not detected.
Conclusion: CTCs seem to be associated with progressive disease in NEN and may provide useful prognostic information given the variable survival rates in these tumors.