Department of General Surgery, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1111 XianXia Road, Shanghai, 200336, China.
World J Surg Oncol. 2018 Jan 22;16(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s12957-017-1305-2.
The presence of peripheral circulating tumor cells indicates the possible existence of a tumor in vivo; however, low numbers of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be detected in peripheral blood of healthy individuals as well as patients with benign tumors. It is not known whether peripheral CTC counts differ between patients with benign colorectal disease and those with colorectal cancer.
Comparative analysis of preoperative peripheral circulating tumor cells counts was completed in patients with benign colorectal disease (colorectal polyps) and non-metastatic cancer of the colon and rectum.
The results of this analysis showed that patients with colorectal cancer had higher CTC counts than patients with colorectal polyps (3.47 ± 0.32/3.2 ml vs 1.49 ± 0.2/3.2 ml, P < 0.001). Colorectal cancer patients with tumors of the sigmoid colon displayed the highest CTC counts (4.87 ± 0.95/3.2 ml), followed by those with tumors of the rectum (3.73 ± 0.54/3.2 ml), ascending colon (3.5 ± 0.63/3.2 ml), transverse colon (2.4 ± 0.68/3.2 ml), and descending colon (2.08 ± 0.46/3.2 ml). Colorectal polyp patients with polyps in the rectum showed the highest CTC counts (2.2 ± 0.77/3.2 ml), followed by those with polyps in the ascending colon (1.82 ± 0.54/3.2 ml), sigmoid colon (1.38 ± 0.25/3.2 ml), transverse colon (0.75 ± 0.25/3.2 ml), and descending colon (0.33 ± 0.21/3.2 ml). The differences in CTC counts suggest that anatomical location of colorectal tumors may affect blood vessel metastasis. Meanwhile, patients with moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated tumors displayed higher peripheral blood CTC counts compared to those with well-differentiated tumors (P < 0.001). This result suggests that the type of tissue differentiation of colorectal tumors may act as another factor that affects blood vessel metastasis.
Circulating tumor cells can be detected in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients as well as patients with colorectal polyps. The differences in CTC counts suggest that anatomical location and the type of tissue differentiation of colorectal tumors may affect blood vessel metastasis.
外周循环肿瘤细胞的存在表明体内可能存在肿瘤；然而，在健康个体和良性肿瘤患者的外周血中也可以检测到少量循环肿瘤细胞（CTC）。目前尚不清楚良性结直肠疾病患者与结直肠癌患者之间外周 CTC 计数是否存在差异。
对良性结直肠疾病（结直肠息肉）和非转移性结肠癌和直肠癌患者进行术前外周循环肿瘤细胞计数的比较分析。
本分析结果显示，结直肠癌患者的 CTC 计数高于结直肠息肉患者（3.47±0.32/3.2ml 比 1.49±0.2/3.2ml，P<0.001）。乙状结肠肿瘤患者的 CTC 计数最高（4.87±0.95/3.2ml），其次是直肠肿瘤患者（3.73±0.54/3.2ml）、升结肠肿瘤患者（3.5±0.63/3.2ml）、横结肠肿瘤患者（2.4±0.68/3.2ml）和降结肠肿瘤患者（2.08±0.46/3.2ml）。直肠息肉患者的 CTC 计数最高（2.2±0.77/3.2ml），其次是升结肠息肉患者（1.82±0.54/3.2ml）、乙状结肠息肉患者（1.38±0.25/3.2ml）、横结肠息肉患者（0.75±0.25/3.2ml）和降结肠息肉患者（0.33±0.21/3.2ml）。CTC 计数的差异表明结直肠肿瘤的解剖位置可能影响血管转移。同时，中分化和低分化肿瘤患者的外周血 CTC 计数高于高分化肿瘤患者（P<0.001）。这一结果表明，结直肠肿瘤的组织分化类型可能是另一个影响血管转移的因素。
结直肠癌患者和结直肠息肉患者的外周血中均可检测到循环肿瘤细胞。CTC 计数的差异表明，结直肠肿瘤的解剖位置和组织分化类型可能影响血管转移。
