Korehito Takasu1, Masayasu Hara2,3, Takeshi Yanagita1, Nozomu Nakai1, Nanako Ando1, Yuzo Maeda1, Takahisa Hirokawa1, Kazuyoshi Shiga1, Yoichi Matsuo1, Hiroki Takahashi1, Shuji Takiguchi1. 1. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Nagoya Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8602, Japan. 2. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Nagoya Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8602, Japan. mshara@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp. 3. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Nagoya City University West Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan. mshara@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine whether or not migrating cancer cells are present on the surgical plane after lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for lower rectal cancer and related to lateral recurrence (LR), we evaluated the lavage of LLND areas by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to check the expression of CEA mRNA in the residual cancer cells. METHODS: Thirty patients who underwent curative LLND were enrolled. Lavage was collected after LLND and subjected to RT-PCR to detect CEA mRNA. The median follow-up to check for recurrence was 31.4 months. RESULTS: CEA mRNA was detected in 9 of the 46 dissected areas. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curves, the cut-off value of PCR was set at 0.025. This cut-off point classified five patients into the high-expression group for CEA mRNA. During follow-up, LR developed in 1 of 40 low-expression areas of CEA mRNA and 3 of 6 high-expression areas. The LR rate was higher in the high-expression group than in the low-expression group (p = 0.015). A multivariate analysis showed that the high expression of CEA mRNA was likely an independent prognostic factor of LR. CONCLUSION: The expression of CEA mRNA in the lavage of LLND areas indicates the presence of residual cancer cells that cause LR.
PURPOSE: To determine whether or not migrating cancer cells are present on the surgical plane after lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for lower rectal cancer and related to lateral recurrence (LR), we evaluated the lavage of LLND areas by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to check the expression of CEA mRNA in the residual cancer cells. METHODS: Thirty patients who underwent curative LLND were enrolled. Lavage was collected after LLND and subjected to RT-PCR to detect CEA mRNA. The median follow-up to check for recurrence was 31.4 months. RESULTS: CEA mRNA was detected in 9 of the 46 dissected areas. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curves, the cut-off value of PCR was set at 0.025. This cut-off point classified five patients into the high-expression group for CEA mRNA. During follow-up, LR developed in 1 of 40 low-expression areas of CEA mRNA and 3 of 6 high-expression areas. The LR rate was higher in the high-expression group than in the low-expression group (p = 0.015). A multivariate analysis showed that the high expression of CEA mRNA was likely an independent prognostic factor of LR. CONCLUSION: The expression of CEA mRNA in the lavage of LLND areas indicates the presence of residual cancer cells that cause LR.