Abstract | PURPOSE: This prospective study evaluates the diagnostic potential of Cytokeratin 20 (CK 20) RT-PCR for the detection of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow and blood of a large cohort of patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and the prognostic value on overall survival prediction. METHODS: Between 1994 and 2003, 172 patients (83 male, 89 female; 13-82 years) with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma underwent surgery. Bone marrow samples and venous blood were taken preoperatively and analyzed for disseminated tumor cells by nested CK 20 RT-PCR. RESULTS: Disseminated tumor cells were detected in 81 (47.1%) of the 172 patients in the bone marrow and/or the venous blood. Overall, in 45 of the 135 (33.3%) bone marrow samples and in 52 of the 154 (33.8%) blood samples, CK 20 positive cells were detected. Detection rates increased with the UICC- tumor stage. According to Kaplan-Meier, univariate survival analysis of all 172 patients (n = 78 R0-; n = 18 R1- and n = 5 R2-resected; n = 71 palliative surgery) showed a statistically significant relationship of overall survival to radicality of the operation (P < 0.0001), the UICC-stage of the tumors (P = 0.0011) and the detection of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow and/or venous blood (P = 0.05). Patients with well- and moderately- differentiated tumors (G1 and G2) had a significantly longer survival (P = 0.045) than patients suffering from poorly differentiated tumors (G3). A positive CK 20 status in the bone marrow and/or blood within the group of patients with G1 and G2 tumors had a significantly negative prognostic impact on their survival (P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Disseminated tumor cells can be detected in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by CK 20 RT-PCR. Detection rates are stage dependent, and survival analysis demonstrated statistically relevant data. From a clinical point of view, this finding is especially noteworthy for the group of well- and moderately-differentiated tumors.
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Authors | Edlyn Soeth, Urte Grigoleit, Barbara Moellmann, Christian Röder, Bodo Schniewind, Bernd Kremer, Holger Kalthoff, Ilka Vogel |
Journal | Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology
(J Cancer Res Clin Oncol)
Vol. 131
Issue 10
Pg. 669-76
(Oct 2005)
ISSN: 0171-5216 [Print] Germany |
PMID | 16136352
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Intermediate Filament Proteins
- KRT20 protein, human
- Keratin-20
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Topics |
- Adenocarcinoma
(mortality, pathology)
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Biomarkers, Tumor
(analysis)
- Bone Marrow Neoplasms
(secondary)
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal
(mortality, pathology)
- Female
- Humans
- Intermediate Filament Proteins
(metabolism)
- Keratin-20
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
- Pancreatic Neoplasms
(mortality, pathology)
- Prognosis
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Survival Rate
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