INFLUENCE OF SUTURE PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SURFACE TOPOGRAPHIC STRUCTUREON TUMOR-CELL ADHERENCE

Local recurrence following curative resection for colorectal cancer ma y be caused by the seeding of free malignant cells at the anastomotic site. This study investigated the influence of suture material on in v itro tumor cell adherence. Radiolabeled rat colonic cancer cells (RCC5 ) were incubated with a variety of suture materials, and the relative contribution of chemical composition and physical configuration to cel l adherence was assessed. Nonadherent cells were washed free, and the cell adherence was determined by radioactive counting. Marked differen ces in adherence were observed, with cells preferentially adhering to protein-based and multifilament sutures. These observations were confi rmed using scanning electron microscopy. These findings indicate that both chemical composition and physical configuration influence the adh erence of tumor cells to sutures and suggest that the use of protein-b ased and multifilament sutures be carefully considered in situations w here free malignant cells may be present following colorectal surgery.