Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) may be prognostic for biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS) in patients with locally advanced high-risk prostate cancer (LAPC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemohormonal therapy (NCHT) and radical prostatectomy (RP).
CTCs were detected before and after NCHT, after RP and at follow-up using the CellSearch™-System for 59 blood samples (20 ml) from patients with LAPC (n=15) and, additionally, for 15 control samples.
The median 5-year progression risk was 90%. CTCs (≥1/20 ml) were detected in 53. 3% of patients, with a detection rate of 18. 6% in sample-adjusted analysis. CTCs were detected at baseline in 20% of patients with LAPC and 6. 7% of controls (p=0. 6). CTC findings displayed no association with clinicopathological characteristics. The median bRFS of CTC-negative vs. CTC-positive patients was 43. 7 (95% confidence interval not reached) vs. 29. 2 months (95% confidence interval=26. 8-60. 6 months), without statistical significance (p=0. 76).
During NCHT and RP, longitudinal CTC presence seems to some extent stochastic, although patients with persistant CTCs post-RP developed biochemical recurrence. No significant association with clinicopathological characteristics or bRFS was observed in patients with LAPC, despite a trend for reduced bRFS in patients with detectable CTCs.
Anticancer research. 2015 Oct [Epub]
Mark Thalgott, Brigitte Rack, Thomas Horn, Matthias M Heck, Matthias Eiber, Hubert Kübler, Margitta Retz, Jürgen E Gschwend, Ulrich Andergassen, Roman Nawroth
Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany , Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. , Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany. , Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany. , Department of Radiology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany. , Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany. , Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany. , Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany. , Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. , Department of Urology, Technical University of Munich, Rechts der Isar Medical Center, Munich, Germany.