Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Cancer Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University; Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China, China, People's Republic of China.
Department of General Surgery, The Fifth People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, Shandong, People's Republic of China, China, People's Republic of China.
J Cancer Res Ther. 2022 Apr;18(2):452-460. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_2311_21.
The number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and the presence of circulating tumor microemboli (CTM) were determined in the peripheral blood of patients with liver cancer (LC). The relationship between CTCs, CTM, clinicopathologic features, and prognosis of LC was analyzed. The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of CTCs/CTM in LC.
Patients with LC were enrolled between May 2013 and August 2017, and 67 patients were included in the study. Overall survival curves were built using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test to identify risk factors. The results were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model and expressed as hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
CTCs and either CTCs or CTM were detected in 27 patients (40.3%) and 29 patients (43.3%). CTM were found in four patients. One-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 42%, 20%, and 15%, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), number of CTCs, presence of CTM, and positive CTC/CTM were associated with survival time. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that alpha fetoprotein (AFP), number of CTCs, and presence of CTM were independent risk factors for survival in patients with LC.
There was no significant correlation between the number of CTCs, the presence of CTM, and clinicopathologic factors. AFP, number of CTCs, and presence of CTM were independent risk factors for survival in patients with LC.
检测肝癌（LC）患者外周血中的循环肿瘤细胞（CTC）和循环肿瘤微栓（CTM）数量。分析 CTCs、CTM 与 LC 临床病理特征和预后的关系。本研究旨在确定 CTCs/CTM 在 LC 中的诊断和预后价值。
2013 年 5 月至 2017 年 8 月期间招募了 LC 患者，共纳入 67 例患者。采用 Kaplan-Meier 法和对数秩检验构建总生存曲线，以确定风险因素。采用 Cox 比例风险模型进行分析，结果表示为风险比和 95%置信区间（95%CI）。
27 例（40.3%）和 29 例（43.3%）患者检测到 CTCs 和 CTCs 或 CTM。4 例患者检测到 CTM。1 年、3 年和 5 年生存率分别为 42%、20%和 15%。单因素 Cox 回归分析显示，甲胎蛋白（AFP）、CTC 数量、CTM 存在和 CTC/CTM 阳性与生存时间有关。多因素 Cox 回归分析显示，AFP、CTC 数量和 CTM 存在是 LC 患者生存的独立危险因素。
CTC 数量、CTM 存在与临床病理因素之间无显著相关性。AFP、CTC 数量和 CTM 存在是 LC 患者生存的独立危险因素。
