Detection of carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA in peritoneal lavage by the transcription-reverse transcription concerted method indicates poor prognosis in patients with stage II and III colon cancer

The Use of CellCollector Assay to Detect Free Cancer Cells in the Peritoneal Cavity of Colorectal Cancer Patients: An Experimental Study

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with high incidence and mortality rates globally. The presence of intraperitoneal free cancer cells (IFCCs) is recognized as an independent prognostic factor for CRC patients. However, a clinical gold standard for IFCCs detection is lacking. The GILUPI CellCollector has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in detecting free cancer cells, yet its application for CRC IFCCs detection remains unreported.

METHODS

We selected CRC and normal cell lines to evaluate the CellCollector's ability to detect tumor cells. A total of 70 CRC patients and 17 patients with benign disease undergoing laparoscopic procedures were investigated. Peritoneal lavage fluid was collected pre- and post-operation, and both real-time PCR (CEA mRNA) and CellCollector detection were performed. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of these two methods.

RESULTS

CellCollector can distinguish well between CRC and normal cells in cell line experiments. CellCollector detects IFCCs better than real-time PCR (CEA) in CRC patients in different TNM Stages. The sensitivity of CellCollector was higher than that of real-time PCR (84.6% vs. 48.4%), and the specificity of CellCollector was also higher than real-time PCR (79.1% vs. 60.4%). There was no significant difference in the results of IFCCs detected by CellCollector before and after total mesorectal excision (TME) or complete mesocolic excision (CME) radical colorectomy (p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference in real-time PCR detection (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The CellCollector demonstrates superior sensitivity and specificity compared to real-time PCR for detecting IFCCs in CRC patients, suggesting its potential as a clinical tool for IFCCs detection.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01978444.

Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 as a potential novel biomarker for intraperitoneal free cancer cells in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent cancer with intraperitoneal free cancer cells (IFCCs) playing a significant role in prognosis, especially during surgeries. The identification of IFCCs is crucial for determining the stage and treatment of patients with CRC. Existing methods for IFCC detection, such as conventional cytology, immunocytochemistry (ICC), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), have limitations in sensitivity and specificity. This study investigates the potential of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG1 as a biomarker for detecting IFCCs in patients with CRC. Testing on a cohort of 91 patients with CRC and 26 patients with gastrointestinal benign disease showed that SNHG1 outperformed CEA in distinguishing CRC cells and detecting IFCCs across different disease stages. SNHG1 demonstrated higher sensitivity (76.1% vs. 43.1%) and specificity (68.4% vs. 52.3%) than CEA for IFCC detection in patients with CRC, suggesting its promising role as a clinical method for identifying IFCCs in CRC.

Risk factors for developing peritoneal metastases after curative surgery for colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

Proactive detection and treatment strategies have achieved encouraging survival outcomes for patients with early peritoneal metastases (PM), but these costly and invasive approaches can only be applied to selected high-risk patients. This meta-analysis aimed to identify the risk factors for metachronous PM after curative surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHOD

The study was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020219187). Databases were searched for studies comparing clinical and histopathological characteristics between patients with metachronous peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer (pmCRC) and patients without (non-pmCRC).

RESULTS

Thirty-six studies were included. Metachronous PM were positively associated with perforation (OR 1.920; 95% CI 1.144-3.223; P = 0.014), poor differentiation (OR 2.291; 1.603-3.275; P < 0.001), T4 (OR 2.897; 1.248-6.726; P = 0.013), N1-2 (OR 3.429; 2.684-4.381; P < 0.001), mucinous adenocarcinoma (OR 4.175; 1.798-9.692; P = 0.001), obstruction (OR 4.467; 1.919-10.398; P = 0.001), synchronous ovarian metastases (OR 5.005; 1.140-21.977; P = 0.033), positive peritoneal carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA (OR 9.472; 3.643-24.631; P < 0.001), elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (preoperative group, OR 3.545, 1.486-8.459, P = 0.004; postoperative group, OR 13.673, 2.222-84.129, P = 0.005), elevated serum cancer antigen 19-9 (preoperative group, OR 5.281, 2.146-12.994, P < 0.001; postoperative group, OR 18.646, 6.429-54.083, P < 0.001) and positive peritoneal cytology (OR 25.884; 11.372-58.913; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These evidence-based risk factors are conducive to designing early detection and proactive treatment strategies, enabling precision medicine.

Prognostic Impact of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels in Rectal Cancer Patients Who Had Received Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy

PURPOSE

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a useful marker for rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of CEA level according to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in rectal cancer patients who underwent radical surgery.

METHODS

A total of 245 patients with rectal cancer who underwent radical surgery were retrospectively evaluated. Serum CEA level was measured preoperatively and postoperatively. We compared survival outcomes based on CEA level before and after surgery according to nCRT.

RESULTS

Of the 245 patients, elevation of CEA level was observed preoperatively in 79 and postoperatively in 30, respectively. Eighty-seven (35.5%) patients received nCRT, and elevated CEA level was a significant prognostic factor both before and after surgery. In patients who had not received nCRT, an elevated CEA level was a significant prognostic factor before surgery but was not significant after surgery. In a multivariate analysis for prognostic factors, elevation of preoperative CEA level was an independent prognostic factor of disease-free survival (DFS) regardless of nCRT. Postoperative CEA level was an independent prognostic factor of DFS in patients who had received nCRT but was not a factor in patients who had not received nCRT.

CONCLUSION

Serum CEA level was an independent prognostic factor both preoperatively and postoperatively in rectal cancer patients who had received nCRT.

Prognostic Significance of Peritoneal Metastasis in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Patients With R0 Resection: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Stage IV colorectal cancer encompasses various clinical conditions. The differences in prognosis after surgery between different metastatic organs have not been fully investigated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess prognostic significance in peritoneal metastasis in R0 resected stage IV colorectal cancer.

DESIGN

We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of patients with R0 resected stage IV colorectal cancer; they were categorized into 3 groups according to the number and location of metastatic organs, including single-organ metastasis in the peritoneum, single-organ metastasis at sites except the peritoneum, and multiple-organ metastases.

SETTINGS

This study used data accumulated by the Japanese Study Group for Postoperative Follow-Up of Colorectal Cancer.

PATIENTS

A total of 1133 patients with R0 resected stage IV colorectal cancer were registered retrospectively between 1997 and 2007 in 20 referral hospitals.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Cancer-specific survival rates between the groups were measured.

RESULTS

The median cancer-specific survival of the single-organ metastasis in the peritoneum group was considerably shorter than that of the single-organ metastasis at a site other than the peritoneum group and was almost comparable to that of the multiple-organ metastases group (3.41 years, 6.20 years, and 2.99 years). In a multivariate analysis of cancer-specific survival, peritoneal dissemination was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor of survival. The median postrecurrence survival of single-organ metastasis in the peritoneum group was considerably shorter than that of the single-organ metastasis at a site other than the peritoneum group. Approximately half of the patients who experienced recurrence of single-organ metastasis in the peritoneum experienced peritoneal recurrence.

LIMITATIONS

This was a retrospective, population-based study that requires a prospective design to validate its conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS

Peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer frequently recurred in the peritoneum even after R0 resection. The cancer-specific survival of the single-organ metastasis in the peritoneum group was as poor as that of the multiple-organ metastases group. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A398.

Cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CS/HIPEC) in colorectal cancer: Evidence-based review of patient selection and treatment algorithms

Cytoreduction and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CS/HIPEC) is increasingly utilized as a treatment strategy for patients with peritoneal metastases from various primary tumor sites. For this heterogenous procedure, related to patient characteristics, patient selection, and the extent of surgical completeness of cytoreduction, high level evidence (ex: multiple randomized controlled trials) is not available to support efficacy. This review of the available literature supporting application of the procedure, focusing on colorectal cancer, provides a summary of current evidence for patient selection and treatment algorithms based on patient presentation.

Significance of carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA in peritoneal lavage determined by transcription-reverse transcription concerted method in patients with low rectal cancer

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Positive carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) messenger RNA (mRNA) in peritoneal lavage is associated with poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer. However, there are no reports about rectal cancer. Therefore we aimed to evaluate the frequency of positive CEA mRNA in peritoneal lavage and the significance of CEA mRNA in patients with low rectal cancer.

METHODS

A total of 55 patients with low rectal cancer who received curative surgical resection were enrolled. CEA mRNA in peritoneal lavage was measured using the transcription-reverse transcription concerted method, a quantitative RNA amplification method. The correlation between CEA mRNA and overall and peritoneal recurrence-free survival was evaluated.

RESULTS

Among 55 patients, 6 (10.9%) had positive CEA mRNA in peritoneal lavage. Patients with positive CEA mRNA resulted in significantly higher recurrence rate than those with negative CEA mRNA (p=0.007). Similarly, the local recurrence rate was significantly higher in the positive CEA mRNA group than in the negative CEA mRNA group (p=0.0009). Lymph node metastasis and positive CEA mRNA were independent risk factors for overall and local recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Positive CEA mRNA in low rectal cancer is a factor that predisposes patients to a high risk for overall recurrence, especially for local recurrence.

Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with obstructive colorectal cancer: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

AIM: To investigate the long-term oncologic outcomes and prognostic factors in patients with obstructive colorectal cancer (CRC) at multiple Japanese institutions.

METHODS: We identified 362 patients diagnosed with obstructive colorectal cancer from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2012 in Yokohama Clinical Oncology Group’s department of gastroenterological surgery. Among them, 234 patients with stage II/III disease who had undergone surgical resection of their primary lesions were analyzed, retrospectively. We report the long-term outcomes, the risk factors for recurrence, and the prognostic factors.

RESULTS: The five-year disease free survival and cancer-specific survival were 50.6% and 80.3%, respectively. A multivariate analysis showed the ASA-PS (HR = 2.23, P = 0.026), serum Albumin ≤ 4.0 g/dL (HR = 2.96, P = 0.007), T4 tumor (HR = 2.73, P = 0.002) and R1 resection (HR = 6.56, P = 0.02) to be independent risk factors for recurrence. Furthermore, poorly differentiated cancers (HR = 6.28, P = 0.009), a T4 tumor (HR = 3.46, P = 0.011) and R1 resection (HR = 6.16, P = 0.006) were independent prognostic factors in patients with obstructive CRC.

CONCLUSION: The outcomes of patients with obstructive CRC was poor. T4 tumor and R1 resection were found to be independent prognostic factors for both recurrence and survival in patients with obstructive CRC.