Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a malignant tumor with strong invasiveness and high mortality. It has the characteristics of easy metastasis, fast growth, high degree of malignancy and strong invasiveness. The prognosis of patients is generally poor. The current clinical diagnosis of SCLC is mainly based on tissue biopsy, which is invasive, long cycle time and high cost. In recent years, liquid biopsy has been gradually applied because of its non-invasive, comprehensive and real-time characteristics that traditional tissue biopsy does not have. The main detection objects of liquid biopsy include circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and exosomes in peripheral blood. The application of liquid biopsy in the clinical treatment of SCLC will help clinicians to improve the detailed diagnosis of SCLC patients, as well as the timely control and response to the treatment response of patients.
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Biomarkers, Tumor ; Circulating Tumor DNA ; Humans ; Liquid Biopsy ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/metabolism* ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/therapy*

BACKGROUND: The methods of detection for recurrence and metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have hysteresis and one-sidedness. This study summarizes the relationship between the circulating tumor cell (CTC) in peripheral blood, expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and clinic pathological features in 30 patients with NSCLC so as to provide new ideas for the detection of tumor recurrence and metastasis. METHODS: To analyze the clinical data and CTC detection data of 30 cases of NSCLC in Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2016 to June 2017. RESULTS: Data analysis showed that the positive rate of CTC in peripheral blood was remarkably correlated with the smoking history (P=0.016). There was no significant correlation among the pathological type and CTC positive rate and the expression of FGFR1 (P=0.202, P=0.806). There was no significant difference in the expression of FGFR1 in different type CTC cells (P=0.094). CONCLUSIONS The positive rate of CTC was significantly correlated with the smoking history of patients with NSCLC. There was no significant difference in CTC classification and FGFR1 expression in different pathological types of NSCLC. There was no significant difference in the expression of FGFR1 between different types of CTCs. We look forward to a larger sample size and inclusion of follow-up data to arrive at more clinically relevant conclusions about CTC and FGFR1 gene expression.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; metabolism ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathological features of testicular malignant Leydig cell tumor (TMLCT) and improve the non-invasive diagnosis of the disease.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data on a case of TMLCT, detected the circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral venous blood, and reviewed the related literature.

RESULTSThe patient, a 47-year-old male, underwent radical orchidoepididymectomy under general anesthesia. Postoperative pathology confirmed the lesion to be TMLCT, which was mainly composed of Leydig cells and suspected with vessel carcinoma embolus. Immunohistochemistry showed the tumor cells to be positive for α-inhibin, Ki67, CD30, vimentin, EMA, and PLAP, but negative for CK, CK7, S100, CD10, SMA, Des, AFP, hCG, CEA, CK19, CD117, Oct-4, LCA, CD20, Pax-5, CD3, and CD43. Two CTCs were detected in the peripheral venous blood. The patient received 3 courses of chemotherapy for retroperitoneal multiple lymph nodes metastasis post-operatively. Subsequent CT imaging manifested no obvious reduction of the retroperitoneal lymph nodes and consequently the patient again underwent retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy and cryoablation. At 8 months after treatment, CT examination revealed notably enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes with the right adrenal gland evidently invaded.

CONCLUSIONTMLCT is an extremely rare sex-gonad stromal tumor with high malignancy and poor prognosis, and CTCs may be used for its early diagnosis and prognostic prediction.

Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leydig Cell Tumor ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Testicular Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery

The death of patients with gastric cancer is mainly due to its recurrence and metastasis, and circulating tumor cell (CTC) is the necessary condition of metastasis. As liquid biopsy, CTC detection has its certain clinical significance. The detection is required after enrichment because circulating tumor cells are rare. Many enrichment methods have been developed: methods based on physical characteristics of TCT, like density, size and dielectric properties and so on; immunogenicity, like Cell Search System; and microfluidic chip technology. The immunofluorescence is commonly used to identify CTC in gastric cancer and the isolated CTC can also be used for the following analysis on the level of nucleic acid, protein and gene regulation. Detection of CTC in gastric cancer is helpful to judge the prognosis, assess staging, monitor the curative effect and guide the development of drug. There are many challenges for clinical transformation of CTC: the lower enrichment efficiency, the less specific surface markers, the uncertain diagnostic efficiency and so on, but it also has the good research prospect because it is non-invasive, repeatable and can real-time monitor the condition and guide the clinical treatment compared with pathological biopsy. In this paper, the detection and identification methods, and clinical value of CTC in gastric cancer patients are reviewed.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; Biopsy ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Cytodiagnosis ; methods ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; methods ; Humans ; Microchip Analytical Procedures ; methods ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; prevention & control ; Neoplasm Staging ; methods ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Secondary Prevention ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

12E7 Antigen ; Adolescent ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Nephrectomy ; Neuroblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism ; Venae Cavae ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism ; Wilms Tumor ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the detection efficiency of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSImmunomagnetic negative enrichment by nanometer magnetic beads and label-free capture with Captor(TM) system were used to isolate and enrich CTCs from peripheral blood of HCC patients, and epithelial and HCC markers were applied to identify CTCs by immunofluorescence staining. CTCs were detected in 50 HCC patients before and after hepatectomy to test the method for isolation, enrichment and identification. The dynamic changes of pre- and post-operative CTCs' numbers were compared. The clinical data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0 software.

RESULTSNegative enrichment methods by nanometer magnetic beads and label-free capture using Captor(TM) system were both suitable for CTCs isolation and enrichment in HCC patients. The positive detection rate of CTCs in HCC patients via negative enrichment was 96.0% (48/50), the preoperative median number of CTCs was 16 per 7.5 ml blood, and the postoperative median number was 17 per 7.5 ml blood.

CONCLUSIONSBoth negative enrichment and Captor(TM) system are suitable for isolation and enrichment of CTCs in HCC patients. There is a significant difference in the numbers of CTCs before and after operation, and dynamic detection of CTCs will provide helpful prognostic information for HCC patients in clinics.

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Immunomagnetic Separation ; methods ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of three rare and poor-prognostic pathological subtypes of primary liver carcinoma, and improve the clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment.

METHODSA retrospective analysis of clinicopathological data of 69 patients with rare pathological subtypes of primary liver carcinoma, diagnosed by postoperative pathology in our hospital from October 1998 to June 2013 was carried out. The data of 80 cases of common poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma treated in the same period were collected as control group. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival rate, and Cox proportional hazards model was used for prognostic analysis in the patients.

RESULTSThirty-four cases were combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (CCC, 28 males, 6 females), with a median age of 52 years (range, 33 to 73). Ninteen cases were giant cell carcinoma (GCC, 16 males and 3 females), with a median age of 59 years (range, 38 to 66). Sixteen cases were sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC, 14 males and 2 females), with a median age of 57 years (range, 46 to 70). The survival analysis revealed that median survival time and the 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates for these 3 groups were 20 months, 61.8%, 29.4%, and 20.6% in the CCC patients, 13 months, 52.6%, 31.6%, and 0% in the GCC patients, and 8 months, 31.3%, 0%, 0% in the SC patients, respectively. The median survival time and survival rate of the SC group were significantly lower than those of the other three groups (P < 0.05). However, in the SC group, the incidences of hilar lymph nodes metastasis, vascular tumor emboli and invasion of adjacent organs were significantly higher than those in the other three groups (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences among the other three groups (P > 0.05). The levels of carcino-embryonic antigen were higher in the three rare subtype groups than that of the control group. The incidences of multiple tumors of the three rare subtype groups were higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Positive surgical margin was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONSThe combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, giant cell carcinoma and sarcomatoid carcinoma have a poor prognosis. Among them sarcomatoid carcinoma is the most malignant and poor prognostic one. Radical resection is recommended.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Giant Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlations between circulating tumor cell (CTC) and clinicopathologic characteristics of tumors obtained by core needle biopsy in axillary lymph node positive primary breast cancer patients.

METHODSThe peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 126 patients with axillary lymph node positive primary breast cancer and were detected to found CTCs using the CellSearch automatic detection system. The associations between CTCs and clinicopathologic characteristics of tumors were analyzed in axillary lymph node positive primary breast cancer patients. All patients were female, age ranging from 27 to 65 years (median, 49 years).

RESULTSOne or more CTCs were detected from the peripheral blood in 25.4% (32/126) patients. The positive rate of CTCs was 36.2% (17/47) in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) (+) patients, 19.0% (15/79) in the HER-2 (-) patients. In univariate analysis, there were significant differences about the positive rate of CTCs between the two groups (χ² = 4.592, P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, the risk of circulating tumor cells positive in HER-2 (+) patients was 2.712 times higher than in HER-2 (-) patients (OR = 2.712, 95% CI: 1.117-6.584, P = 0.027), whereas the positive rate of CTCs in axillary lymph node positive primary breast cancer patients showed no significant differences among the different subgroups with regards to age, menopausal status, the T staging of the tumor, histological type, histological grade, hormone receptor status and Ki-67 expression level (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThere are significant correlations between the presence of CTCs and the HER-2 status of the tumor in axillary lymph node positive primary breast cancer patients. No significant correlations are found between the presence of CTCs and the age, menopausal status, T staging of the tumor, histological type, histological grade, hormone receptor status and Ki-67 expression level.

Adult ; Aged ; Axilla ; pathology ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; pathology ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo establish a quantitative method to detect circulating tumor cells (CTC) in patients with small cell lung cancer, and analyze its sensitivity and stability.

METHODSA specific primer and probe for prepro-gastrin-releasing peptide (preproGRP) was designed and a quantitative RT-PCR method was established to detect preproGRP mRNA. Cell incorporation method was used to evaluate the sensitivity. Magnetic cell sorting (MACS) was used to isolate and purify CTC from peripheral blood, and the MACS in combination with morphological diagnosis were used for cell counting.

RESULTSThe isolation rate of CTC by MACS was 30% and the lower detection limit was 5 cells per ml blood. The sensitivity of quantitative RT-PCR in detection of preproGRP mRNA in CTC was 0.64 cells per reaction, and the lower detection limit was 50 cells per ml blood, which was lower than that of MACS. However, the cell numbers calculated by Ct value was in greater accordance (about 80%) with actual cell numbers than that obtained by MACS.

CONCLUSIONSPreproGRP quantitative RT-PCR and MACS have both advantages and disadvantages in detecting CTC of SCLC patients. MACS has a higher sensitivity, and is more favorable when CTC count is below 50 per ml blood. Meanwhile, preproGRP mRNA quantitative RT-PCR is more reliable in calculating actual cell numbers.

Humans ; Immunomagnetic Separation ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Peptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Precursors ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate retrospectively the relationship between clinicopathological factors and lymph node matastasis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

METHODSThe clinicopathological factors, including gender, age, preoperative CA-19-9 level etc. of 71 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were summarized to analyze the relationship between those factors and lymph node matastasis.

RESULTSAmong the 71 cases, there were 49 males (69.0%) and 22 females (31.0%). Forty-eight were ≥ 60 (67.6%) and 23 were < 60 (32.4%) years old. Twenty patients had normal preoperative CA-19-9 level (28.2%) and 51 had elevated level (71.8%). The tumor in 43 (60.6%) cases located in the pancreatic head and neck, and 28 (39.4%) in the body and tail. The tumors in 8 patients were well-differentiated (11.3%), 27 were moderately differentiated (38.0%), and 36 were poorly differentiated (50.7%). The maximum diameter of the tumor was ≤ 2 cm in 11 cases (15.5%), 2 - 5 cm in 45 cases (63.4%), and > 5 cm in 15 cases (21.1%). Ten patients had tumor confined to the pancreas (14.1%), and 61 invaded peripancreatic tissues (85.9%). Vascular tumor thrombus was found in 48 cases (67.6%), and 23 cases were absent (32.4%). Thirty-six cases had lymph node matastasis (50.7%). Univariate chi-square test revealed that differentiation and range of local infiltration were significantly associated with lymph node meatstasis (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that differentiation and range of local infiltration were significantly associated with lymph node meatstasis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe differentiation of tumor and range of local infiltration of pancreatic adenocarcinoma are significantly associated with lymph node metastasis. There is no significant relationship of location of the tumor, maximum diameter, presence or absence of vascular tumor thrombus with lymph node metastasis. Therefore, special attention should be paid to lymph node dissection in cases with a poorly differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma invading into peripancreatic tissues.

Adenocarcinoma ; immunology ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Tumor Burden