Detection of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood of patients who underwent lung cancer surgery

Abstract

7564 Background: We tested the hypothesis that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are detected in patients who underwent lung cancer surgery using the CellSearch system (Veridex LLC, Warren, NJ). Methods: Blood was drawn from 27 patients who received lung cancer surgery and 42 healthy volunteers. In total, eighty-one blood samples were collected from each donor who underwent lung cancer surgery just before starting operation, immediately after tumor resection, and about one hour after operation. Eighty-two samples were collected from 42 healthy volunteers. CTCs were enumerated using the CellSearch system. Results: In 42 healthy volunteers, 4.9% (4 of 82 samples) had one detectable CTC in 7.5 mL of blood, but no sample had more than one detectable CTC. Thus, we established 2 detectable CTCs as the cutoff level of CTC-positivity. In 27 patients who received lung cancer surgery, 25.9% (21 of 81 samples) had one detectable CTC and 16.0% (13 of 81 samples) had two or more detectable CTCs. Four of 6 CTC-positive cases before surgery were in I pathologic stages. Three of 4 cases who were CTC-negative before surgery, but CTC-positive during or after surgery, were T2 or T3 in TNM classification. Conclusions: CTCs were detected in the peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer, before, during, and after surgery. The results of this study may suggest the possibility of micrometastasis in blood in early-stage lung cancer and of blood dissemination during lung cancer surgery. No significant financial relationships to disclose.