Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer-draining veins have diagnostic and prognostic value. However, studies on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are limited. This study aimed to compare CTCs obtained from different sampling sites (peripheral vein vs. cancer-draining azygos vein) and to investigate their association with the clinicopathological characteristics of ESCC patients. Blood samples were collected preoperatively from both veins in 40 ESCC patients at Pusan National University Hospital from June 2020 to April 2022. CTCs were detected using a centrifugal microfluidic method with fluid-assisted separation. CTCs and TWIST (+) CTCs were detected more frequently in the azygos vein blood than in the peripheral vein blood; however, the difference was not statistically significant (85.0% [34/40] vs. 77.5% [31/40],p= 0.250 and 82.5% [33/40] vs. 75.0% [30/40],p= 0.586, respectively). CTC and TWIST (+) CTC counts were significantly higher in the azygos vein blood than in the peripheral vein blood (7 vs. 3,p< 0.001, and 6 vs. 2,p< 0.001, respectively). CTCs and TWIST (+) CTCs from peripheral and azygos veins showed no association with clinicopathological characteristics. Further large-scale studies are needed to clarify their role as predictive biomarkers for prognosis and chemotherapy responses in ESCC patients.
癌引流静脉中的循环肿瘤细胞具有诊断和预后价值，但针对食管鳞状细胞癌的相关研究有限。本研究旨在比较不同采样部位（外周静脉与癌引流奇静脉）获取的循环肿瘤细胞，并探讨其与食管鳞状细胞癌患者临床病理特征的相关性。2020年6月至2022年4月期间，在釜山国立大学医院对40例食管鳞状细胞癌患者术前采集双静脉血样。采用离心微流控流体辅助分离技术检测循环肿瘤细胞。结果显示，奇静脉血中循环肿瘤细胞及TWIST阳性循环肿瘤细胞的检出率均高于外周静脉血（85.0% [34/40] vs. 77.5% [31/40]，p=0.250；82.5% [33/40] vs. 75.0% [30/40]，p=0.586），但差异无统计学意义。奇静脉血中循环肿瘤细胞及TWIST阳性循环肿瘤细胞计数均显著高于外周静脉血（中位数7 vs. 3，p<0.001；中位数6 vs. 2，p<0.001）。外周静脉与奇静脉来源的循环肿瘤细胞及TWIST阳性循环肿瘤细胞均未显示与临床病理特征存在关联。未来需要开展大规模研究以明确其作为食管鳞状细胞癌患者预后及化疗反应预测生物标志物的价值。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家