BACKGROUND: Development of effective ways to detect metastases is highly desirable for improving the therapeutic strategies and survival of cancer patients. Serum levels of galectin-3 and -4, two members of the galactoside-binding galectin family, have recently been reported to be markedly increased up to 31-fold in the bloodstream of colorectal cancer patients and in particular those with metastases. RESULTS: We found that simultaneous determination of serum galectin-3 and -4 levels in a single assay provides a high specificity and sensitivity in distinguishing colorectal cancer patients without metastases from those with liver metastases. This result was partly attributed by a reciprocal relationship of serum galectin-3 and -4 levels in patients with metastases. Higher serum galectin-3/-4 levels at the time of primary tumour removal in patients who did not exhibit clinically detectable metastases were associated with a trend of a poorer patients' survival in the next 10 years. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous determination of serum galectin-3 and -4 levels can potentially be used alone or in combination with other assessments to detect colorectal cancer metastases.
BACKGROUND: Development of effective ways to detect metastases is highly desirable for improving the therapeutic strategies and survival of cancerpatients. Serum levels of galectin-3 and -4, two members of the galactoside-binding galectin family, have recently been reported to be markedly increased up to 31-fold in the bloodstream of colorectal cancerpatients and in particular those with metastases. RESULTS: We found that simultaneous determination of serum galectin-3 and -4 levels in a single assay provides a high specificity and sensitivity in distinguishing colorectal cancerpatients without metastases from those with liver metastases. This result was partly attributed by a reciprocal relationship of serum galectin-3 and -4 levels in patients with metastases. Higher serum galectin-3/-4 levels at the time of primary tumour removal in patients who did not exhibit clinically detectable metastases were associated with a trend of a poorer patients' survival in the next 10 years. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous determination of serum galectin-3 and -4 levels can potentially be used alone or in combination with other assessments to detect colorectal cancer metastases.
Authors: Hannah Barrow; Xiuli Guo; Hans H Wandall; Johannes W Pedersen; Bo Fu; Qicheng Zhao; Chen Chen; Jonathan M Rhodes; Lu-Gang Yu Journal: Clin Cancer Res Date: 2011-09-20 Impact factor: 12.531
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Authors: S E Baldus; F G Hanisch; G M Kotlarek; T K Zirbes; J Thiele; J Isenberg; U R Karsten; P L Devine; H P Dienes Journal: Cancer Date: 1998-03-15 Impact factor: 6.860
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Authors: Chen Chen; Carrie A Duckworth; Qicheng Zhao; David Mark Pritchard; Jonathan M Rhodes; Lu-Gang Yu Journal: Clin Cancer Res Date: 2013-02-11 Impact factor: 12.531