Prognostic value of cytokeratin-positive bone marrow cells of gastric cancer patients

Item Type:	Article
Title:	Prognostic value of cytokeratin-positive bone marrow cells of gastric cancer patients
Creators Name:	Gretschel, S. and Schick, C. and Schneider, U. and Estevez-Schwarz, L. and Bembenek, A. and Schlag, P.M.
Abstract:	BACKGROUND: Epithelial cells in the bone marrow of patients with gastric cancer suggest tumor dissemination; however, their prognostic implications are controversial. We prospectively evaluated the correlation of bone marrow findings, recurrence rate, and disease-free survival after long-term follow-up. METHODS: Bone marrow were aspirated from both iliac crests and stained with monoclonal cytokeratin (CK)-18 antibody in 209 patients before their initial operation. Patients were followed up for a median of 56 months. RESULTS: Overall, 39 (19%) of 209 patients and 15 (14%) of 109 R0-resected patients had CK-positive cells. CK-positive patients had more local, regional, and distant recurrence than CK-negative patients (P < .05). We found a significantly shorter disease-free survival (P < .05) in the patients with >2 CK-positive cells per 2 x 10(6) bone marrow cells (mean, 35 months) than in patients with </=2 CK-positive cells per 2 x 10(6 )bone marrow cells (mean, 70 months) or in patients with no CK-positive cells (mean, 86 months). Multivariate analysis confirmed that >2 CK-positive cells per 2 x 10(6) bone marrow cells was an independent prognostic factor for tumor-related death (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Not only the mere presence of CK-positive epithelial cells in bone marrow, but also the cell number, correlates with prognosis. Our findings suggest that classifying CK-positive bone marrow cells in these patients will facilitate future studies.
Keywords:	Gastric cancer, Bone marrow, Epithelial cells
Source:	Annals of Surgical Oncology
ISSN:	1068-9265
Publisher:	Springer
Volume:	14
Page Range:	373-380
Date:	February 2007
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-006-9039-3
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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