Prognostische Bedeutung der Detektion disseminierter Tumorzellen bei Patienten mit Kolonkarzinom

Aim: The prognostic impact of disseminated tumour cells is controversially discussed. In our prospective analysis preoperatively taken blood and bone marrow samples of patients with carcinoma of the colon were evaluated for disseminated tumour cells by cytokeratin 20 (CK 20) RT-PCR. Material and methods: 178 bone marrow and 226 blood samples were taken from 236 patients (1992–2002). According to the UICC-stages (1997) the distribution was: UICC stage I: 52 pat. (22%); II: 63 pat. (26.7%); III: 59 pat. (25%); IV a + b: 62 pat. (26.3%). 185 (78.3%) of the 236 patients were curatively (R0) resected. Patients follow up was between 3 and 103 months (mean: 27 months). Results: In both compartments detection of disseminated tumour cells increased with the UICC-stage (bone marrow: stage I: 32.4%, stage II: 34%, stage III: 34.9%, stage IV: 49%, overall 38.2%; blood: stage I: 33.3%, stage II: 35.5%, stage III: 38.2%, stage IV: 50%, overall: 39.4%).