Immunocytochemical detection of cytokeratin positive cells in human bone marrow of gastric and colorectal cancer patients
Leinung, S.; Schönfelder, A.; Schönfelder, M.
Zentralblatt für Chirurgie 123(5): 520-524
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-409X PMID: 22462221 Document Number: 484286
We looked for disseminated tumour cells postoperatively in the bone marrow of 22 patients with gastric cancer and of 26 patients with colorectal cancer. On an average the follow-up was 6.5 months in the gastric cancer group and 9 months in the colorectal cancer group. In 27% of the gastric cancer group and in 30% of the colorectal cancer group follow-up aspirates were obtained. Micrometastases were detected in 96% of colorectal cancer patients and in 77% of gastric cancer patients. Both, postoperative and follow-up aspirations showed clear differences in the number of ck+ cells between the iliac crest sides. The majority of cells formed clusters from 2 to about 200 cells. In both groups no significant correlation was found between the number of tumour cells detected and the established risk factors (stage, tumour extension, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis) or the disease-free survival. In the gastric cancer group higher numbers of ck+ cells were seen in the low tumor stages I and II, as compared to stage III and IV. Besides, in this group significantly more ck+ cells were detected in younger patients (age under 63,5) than in the older group over 63,5 years. Colorectal cancer patients did not show this correlation. In follow-up aspirations the number of ck+ cells of the colorectal and also the gastric cancer group showed a tendency of rise in relapse and of fall in disease-free survival. There was a tendency of higher rates of ck+ cells in the colorectal cancer group when compared to gastric cancer patients.