Significant Detection of Circulating Cancer Cells in the Blood by Reverse Transcriptase–Polymerase Chain Reaction During Colorectal Cancer Resection

Abstract

Molecular detection of both CEA and cytokeratin 20 mRNA in mesenteric venous blood may be of prognostic value for patients with colorectal carcinoma. Molecular detection in the peripheral blood at surgery suggests that hematogenic tumor cell dissemination is a common and early event and that surgical manipulation enhances this release of tumor cells into the circulation.