Clinical Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Objective: In recent years, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have attracted attention for prediction of metastasis in breast, prostate, and colon cancers. This study aimed to investigate whether detection of CTCs could be prognostic factor in esophageal cancer.

Methods: This study involved 38 patients treated at Juntendo University from May 2010 to April 2013 who provided consent. CTCs were measured using CellSearch^® system in preoperative peripheral blood. Clinicopathological parameters and prognostic factors were retrieved from our medical records.

Results: CTCs were detected in 6 of 38 patients (15.8%). Among patients' characteristics and clinicopathological features, CTC-positive group had higher serum SCC levels and tended to have more advanced cStages than the CTC-negative group. The CTC-negative group showed better survival curves than CTCs positive-group in both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) although the differences were not statistically significant. CTCs positivity has a possibility to be prognostic marker according to multivariable analysis of OS and DFS.

Conclusion: Although this study has some limitations, our results suggest that CTCs in preoperative peripheral blood has potential to be a prognostic marker for esophageal cancer.