Investigation and clinical application of mechanism for growth of minimal cancer cells in gastrointestinal cancer

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293306
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: Natsugoe Shoji 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学系, 教授 (70237577)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 盛 真一郎 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学部・歯学部附属病院, 助教 (00620519) ; 奥村 浩 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 客員研究員 (10398282) ; 中条 哲浩 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学部・歯学部附属病院, 助教 (20404486) ; 内門 泰斗 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学部・歯学部附属病院, 特例准教授 (30464465) ; 喜島 祐子 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域医学部・歯学部附属病院, 講師 (60381175) ; 上之園 芳一 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 特任准教授 (60398279) ; 石神 純也 鹿児島大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 客員研究員 (90325803)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 微量癌細胞 / 消化器癌 / リンパ節 / 血中遊離癌細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A total of 89 gastric cancer and 511 nodal metastasis were immunohistochemically examined by E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Snail. N-cadherin and Snail were important markers to predict tumor stage and prognosis in gastric cancer. In esophageal cancer cases which were complete response by preoperative chemo-radiation therapy, 30% of patients had a minimal residual disease by cytokeratin staining. At baseline analysis, CTCs were detected in 25 patients (27.8%). Overall survival was significantly shorter in patients with than without CTCs. Patients with a change in CTC status from positive to negative had a good prognosis as well as patients without baseline CTCs.

Free Research Field

消化器外科