Isolation of circulating tumor cells in pancreatic cancer patients by immunocytochemical assay.

BACKGROUND: The patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have the possibilities of getting the cancer again even after resection. The tumor cells identified from blood can be related to different stages of tumor.

METHODS: In this study, we used an immunoassay to detect circulating tumor cells in blood and bone marrow samples. About 120 patients' blood and bone marrow samples were used in this study along with controls. The presence of tumor cells was evaluated with different stages of cancer classified by UICC. The survival rate at each stages of tumor was also analyzed.

RESULTS: The tumor cells were isolated both in blood (29%) and bone marrow samples (25%). The prevalence of tumor cells increased with increase in stages of tumor in blood samples.

CONCLUSION: The survival of the patients considerably related to different stages of tumor but it cannot be taken a parameter alone for the patients' survival.