Detection of circulating prostate carcinoma cells via an enhanced reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay in patients with early stage prostate carcinoma

Abstract

The detection of circulating prostate cells using RT-PCR occurs in approximately 25% of early stage prostate carcinoma patients and is independent of other established prognostic factors. In addition, a positive RT-PCR assay is a strong predictor of pathologic upstaging in patients with clinically organ-confined disease.