Significant detection of circulating cancer cells in the blood by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction during colorectal cancer resection

Objective To analyse the clinical value of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) recognition of mRNA coding for carcinoembryonic an tigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 in blood obtained from patients with colorec tal carcinoma. Summary Background Data RT-PCR has been applied to identify very small numb ers of tumor cells. Molecular detection is thought to provide useful inform ation for the clinical management of perioperative prophylaxis of tumor cel l implantation or postoperative adjuvant therapy regimens. Methods From 52 patients with colorectal cancer, peripheral blood specimens were obtained before and after surgical manipulation; also, a specimen of mesenteric venous blood draining the colorectal tumor was obtained just bef ore tumor resection. Using cDNA primers specific for CEA and cytokeratin 20 , RT-PCR was performed to detect tumor cells. Subsequently, the 52 patients were divided into two groups, a group positive for both CEA and cytokerati n 20 and a group negative for CEA, cytokeratin 20, or both. Results On the basis of 450 days of follow-up data, the FOR-positive group had a significantly shorter overall survival than the PCR-negative group on ly with the mesenteric venous blood specimens. Multivariate analysis indica ted that detection of the simultaneous presence of CEA and cytokeratin 20 m RNA in mesenteric venous blood is a potent prognostic factor independent of the traditional pathologic parameters. Of the eight peripheral blood speci mens found to be PCR-positive, five showed a change of PCR from negative to positive during surgery, and liver metastases developed 11 months later in one of these five patients. Conclusions Molecular detection of both CEA and cytokeratin 20 mRNA in mese nteric venous blood may be of prognostic value for patients with colorectal carcinoma. Molecular detection in the peripheral blood at surgery suggests that hematogenic tumor cell dissemination is a common and early event and that surgical manipulation enhances this release of tumor cells into the ci rculation.