Open AccessPrognostic relevance of minimal residual disease in colorectal cancer
Author(s) -
Ulrich Bork,
Robert Grützmann,
Nuh N. Rahbari,
Sebastian Schölch,
Marius Distler,
Christoph Reißfelder,
Moritz Koch,
Jürgen Weitz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v20.i30.10296
Subject(s) - medicine , minimal residual disease , colorectal cancer , oncology , bone marrow , disease , lymph , occult , circulating tumor cell , clinical significance , cancer , pathology , metastasis , alternative medicine
Presence of occult minimal residual disease in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) has a strong prognostic impact on survival. Minimal residual disease plays a major role in disease relapse and formation of metastases in CRC. Analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the blood is increasingly used in clinical practice for disease monitoring of CRC patients. In this review article the role of CTC, disseminated tumor cells (DTC) in the bone marrow and micrometastases and isolated tumor cells (ITC) in the lymph nodes will be discussed, including literature published until September 2013. Occult disease is a strong prognostic marker for patient survival in CRC and defined by the presence of CTC in the blood, DTC in the bone marrow and/or micrometastases and ITC in the lymph nodes. Minimal residual disease could be used in the future to identify patient groups at risk, who might benefit from individualized treatment options.