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Hao MJ, Cheng ZY, Gao Y, Xin L, Yu CT, Wang TL, Li ZS, Wang LW. Liquid biopsy of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: implications in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. Scand J Gastroenterol 2024; 59:698-709. [PMID: 38466190 DOI: 10.1080/00365521.2024.2310167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignant tumour of the gastrointestinal tract. Early detection and access to appropriate treatment are crucial for the long-term survival of patients. However, limited diagnostic and monitoring methods are available for identifying early stage ESCC. Endoscopic screening and surgical resection are commonly used to diagnose and treat early ESCC. However, these methods have disadvantages, such as high recurrence, lethality, and mortality rates. Therefore, methods to improve early diagnosis of ESCC and reduce its mortality rate are urgently required. In 1961, Gary et al. proposed a novel liquid biopsy approach for clinical diagnosis. This involved examining exosomes, circulating tumour cells, circulating free DNA, and circulating free RNA in body fluids. The ability of liquid biopsy to obtain samples repeatedly, wide detection range, and fast detection speed make it a feasible option for non-invasive tumour detection. In clinical practice, liquid biopsy technology has gained popularity for early screening, diagnosis, treatment efficacy monitoring, and prognosis assessment. Thus, this is a highly promising examination method. However, there have been no comprehensive reviews on the four factors of liquid biopsy in the context of ESCC. This review aimed to analyse the progress of liquid biopsy research for ESCC, including its classification, components, and potential future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Juan Hao
- University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anaesthesia and Surgery, Guiyang Fourth People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhi-Yuan Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Xin
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chu-Ting Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting-Lu Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao-Shen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Luo-Wei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Zhou Q, He Q, He W, Wang C, Liu G, Wang K, Li H, Li J, Xiao W, Fang Q, Peng L, Han Y, Wang D, Leng X. Clinical value of folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas: a retrospective study. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1171. [PMID: 38037003 PMCID: PMC10687783 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11565-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the study is to explore the role of preoperative folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cell (FR+CTC) levels in predicting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC). METHODS Three ml blood samples were prospectively drawn from ESCC patients, and ligand-targeted polymerase chain reaction (LT-PCR) was used for the quantification of FR+CTCs. Other serum indicators were measured by traditional methods. Clinicopathological characteristics were obtained from the hospital medical record system, DFS and OS data were obtained by follow-up. The correlation between clinico-pathological characteristics, DFS, and OS and FR+CTCs were analyzed, respectively. Risk factors potentially affecting DFS and OS were explored by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS there were no significant correlations between FR+CTCs and patient age, sex, albumin, pre-albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and CRP/Albumin ratio, tumor size, grade of differentiation, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, perineural invasion/vessel invasion (all P > 0.05). Nevertheless, preoperative FR+CTCs were an independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR 2.7; 95% CI 1.31-, P = 0.007) and OS (HR 3.37; 95% CI 1.06-, P = 0.04). DFS was significantly shorter for patients with post-operative FR+CTCs ≥ 17.42 FU/3ml compared with patients < 17.42 FU/3ml (P = 0.0012). For OS, it was shorter for patients with FR+CTCs ≥ 17.42 FU/3ml compared with patients < 17.42 FU/3ml, however, the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.51). CONCLUSIONS ESCC patients with high FR+CTCs tend to have a worse prognosis. FR+CTCs may monitor the recurrence of cancers in time, accurately assess patient prognosis, and guide clinical decision-making. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was approved by the Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute Ethics Committee (No. SCCHEC-02-2022-050).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhou
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiao He
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenwu He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chenghao Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guangyuan Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Kangning Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Haojun Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jialong Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wenguang Xiao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiang Fang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lin Peng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yongtao Han
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Dongsheng Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuefeng Leng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Yao Y, Zhu X, Liu W, Jiang J, Jiang H. Meta-analysis of the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in gastrointestinal cancer. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e31099. [PMID: 36281182 PMCID: PMC9592416 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000031099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has become a new strategy for predicting the prognosis of cancer patients. However, limited systematic research evidence is available for the detection of CTCs in various gastrointestinal tumors such as esophageal cancer (EC), colorectal cancer (CRC) and gastric cancer (GC). This topic was addressed to assess the prognostic significance of CTCs in gastrointestinal tumors. METHODS We conducted a literature search according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist (from November 20, 2021). We performed a meta-analysis using the random effects model and Review Manager 5.3 software (The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction and evaluation methods. RESULTS Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria for this study, and they included 3803 EC, CRC and GC patients, including 1189 CTC-positive and 2462 CTC-negative cases. The meta-analysis showed that the presence of CTCs was associated with worse OS (HR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.75-2.40, P = .060) and PFS (HR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.79-2.89, P < .001). Further meta-regression and subgroup analyses showed that CTC-positive patients also showed worse OS and PFS in different subgroups. CONCLUSION Our meta-analysis suggests that detecting CTCs in peripheral blood may be an important tool for improving the prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Moreover, CTCs detection results could be used to develop personalized treatment plans in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuming Yao
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Weixin Liu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiayi Jiang
- Mathematics Major, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Han Jiang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- * Correspondence: Han Jiang, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1, Minde Road, Donghu, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China (e-mail: )
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Liquid Biopsy: Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2129:193-202. [PMID: 32056179 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0377-2_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTC) harvested in the blood of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are associated with certain clinical pathological parameters as well as patients' prognosis and response to chemoradiation. They are the source of distant metastases and their mechanisms of pathogenesis is complex. In recent years, advance in technologies has allowed scientists to detect, enumerate, and isolate these cells for further analysis and monitor the diseases progression in patients with cancer. There are a few methods available for the identification of individual CTC and clusters of CTCs (circulating tumor microemboli). The most commonly used is detection by immunomagnetic method. Although all these methods have limitations, they are helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of CTCs with potential applications in clinical managements in patients with ESCC.
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Matsuoka T, Yashiro M. Precision medicine for gastrointestinal cancer: Recent progress and future perspective. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2020; 12:1-20. [PMID: 31966910 PMCID: PMC6960076 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v12.i1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer has a high tumor incidence and mortality rate worldwide. Despite significant improvements in radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy for GI cancer over the last decade, GI cancer is characterized by high recurrence rates and a dismal prognosis. There is an urgent need for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Recent technological advances and the accumulation of clinical data are moving toward the use of precision medicine in GI cancer. Here we review the application and status of precision medicine in GI cancer. Analyses of liquid biopsy specimens provide comprehensive real-time data of the tumor-associated changes in an individual GI cancer patient with malignancy. With the introduction of gene panels including next-generation sequencing, it has become possible to identify a variety of mutations and genetic biomarkers in GI cancer. Although the genomic aberration of GI cancer is apparently less actionable compared to other solid tumors, novel informative analyses derived from comprehensive gene profiling may lead to the discovery of precise molecular targeted drugs. These progressions will make it feasible to incorporate clinical, genome-based, and phenotype-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and apply them to individual GI cancer patients for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasuku Matsuoka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 5458585, Japan
| | - Masakazu Yashiro
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 5458585, Japan
- Oncology Institute of Geriatrics and Medical Science, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 5458585, Japan
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Choi MK, Kim GH, I H, Park SJ, Lee MW, Lee BE, Park DY, Cho YK. Circulating tumor cells detected using fluid-assisted separation technique in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 34:552-560. [PMID: 30426559 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.14543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the aggressive gastrointestinal tract cancers. Detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood from patients with various malignancies has been reported to have diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. We aimed to evaluate CTCs in patients with ESCC and assess the clinical significance of CTCs in the early diagnosis of ESCC. METHODS Peripheral blood samples for CTCs analyses were prospectively obtained from 73 patients with ESCC prior to treatment between March 2015 and June 2018. CTCs were detected using a centrifugal microfluidic system with a new fluid-assisted separation technique. Blood samples from 31 healthy volunteers were used as controls. RESULTS After creating a receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the optimal CTC threshold to differentiate patients with ESCC from healthy controls, sensitivity and specificity were most optimized at a CTC threshold of two per 7.5 mL of blood. Among 66 subjects with ≥ 2 CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood, 63 (95.5%) had ESCC. Among 38 subjects with < 2 CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood, 28 (73.7%) were healthy controls. When using this threshold, the sensitivity and specificity for differentiating patients with ESCC from healthy controls were 86.3% and 90.3%, respectively. CTC count was associated with tumor-node-metastasis stage, especially lymph node metastasis, but there was no correlation with any other relevant clinicopathologic variable. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CTCs detected using fluid-assisted separation technique could be helpful for early diagnosis of ESCC. Further large-scale prospective studies are warranted to validate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mun Ki Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Gwang Ha Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Hoseok I
- Department of Chest Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Su Jin Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Moon Won Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Bong Eun Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Busan, Korea
| | - Do Youn Park
- Department of Pathology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Yoon-Kyoung Cho
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea
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Hou J, Zou K, Yang C, Leng X, Xu Y. Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells in patients with esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:8053-8061. [PMID: 30519047 PMCID: PMC6239095 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s175855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with esophageal cancer (EC). Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, Cochrane library (from inception to July 2018) with the keywords “esophageal cancer”, “circulating tumor cells”, “prognosis”, and “peripheral blood”. HR, risk ratio (RR), OR, and their 95% CIs were set as effect measures. All analyses were performed by STATA 12.0. Results Eighteen studies were retrieved; CTC-positive patients were significantly associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) (HR=2.61; 95% CI=2.08–3.28) and overall survival (OS) (HR=2.50; 95% CI=2.12–2.94). CTC-positive patients were also associated with high recurrence (OR=2.84; 95% CI=1.81–4.44) and poor response of chemoradiotherapy (RR=0.64; 95% CI=0.43–0.96). For clinicopathological characteristics, CTC-positive patients were significantly associated with TNM staging, depth of infiltration, regional lymph nodes metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and venous invasion. Conclusion The meta-analysis has confirmed the significant clinicopathological and prognostic value of CTC-positive patients for both PFS and OS in patients with EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxuan Hou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, .,Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kun Zou
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chaogang Yang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaohua Leng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,
| | - Yu Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors and Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, .,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,
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Lopez A, Harada K, Mizrak Kaya D, Dong X, Song S, Ajani JA. Liquid biopsies in gastrointestinal malignancies: when is the big day? Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2017; 18:19-38. [DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2018.1403320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Lopez
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Inserm U954, Nancy University Hospital, Lorraine University, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Kazuto Harada
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dilsa Mizrak Kaya
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaochuan Dong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shumei Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaffer A. Ajani
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Xu HT, Miao J, Liu JW, Zhang LG, Zhang QG. Prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in esophageal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2017; 23:1310-1318. [PMID: 28275311 PMCID: PMC5323456 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i7.1310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To perform a meta-analysis of the related studies to assess whether circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be used as a prognostic marker of esophageal cancer.
METHODS PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and references in relevant studies were searched to assess the prognostic relevance of CTCs in patients with esophageal cancer. The primary outcome assessed was overall survival (OS). The meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model, with hazard ratio (HR), risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) as effect measures.
RESULTS Nine eligible studies were included involving a total of 911 esophageal cancer patients. Overall analyses revealed that CTCs-positivity predicted disease progression (HR = 2.77, 95%CI: 1.75-4.40, P < 0.0001) and reduced OS (HR = 2.67, 95%CI: 1.99-3.58, P < 0.00001). Further subgroup analyses demonstrated that CTCs-positive patients also had poor OS in different subsets. Moreover, CTCs-positivity was also significantly associated with TNM stage (RR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.07-2.06, P = 0.02) and T stage (RR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.13-1.84, P = 0.003) in esophageal cancer.
CONCLUSION Detection of CTCs at baseline indicates poor prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. However, this finding relies on data from observational studies and is potentially subject to selection bias. Prospective trials are warranted.
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