Investigation of the relevance between cyclic tumor cell in hepatopetal blood flow and liver metastases in patients with pancreas cancer

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26861086
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Digestive surgery
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: ADACHI Tomohiko 長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(医学系), 客員研究員 (60437879)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 膵癌 / 血中循環癌細胞 / 肝転移

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In regarding to the presence of CTC, CTC was not detected at all in peripheral blood in patients with pancreas cancer. On the other hand, before tumor resection, CTC was detected in portal vein or hepatic arterial blood flow in 2 of 8 patients, and CTC was also detected in 2 of 8 patients after tumor removal. In one case, CTC was detected both of pre and post tumor resection. In regarding to the prognosis, there was no significant differences between with or without CTC in patients with pancreas cancer (Median survival time in both groups was 37 months). Interestingly, in one case whose CTC was detected in both of pre and post tumor resection, liver recurrence has occurred only in these cases. Other study such as the evaluation of carbohydrate antigen of CTC or in vivo CTC transplant experiment was not able to be conducted due to lack of sufficient CTC, because even in detected cases, all detected cell number was only one in 7.5ml blood.

Free Research Field

肝胆膵外科、移植外科