Circulating tumor cells correlate with poorer survival in pancreatic cancer patients

ScienceDaily (2010-05-31) -- Researchers have found that pancreatic cancer patients who have circulating tumor cells tend to have worse outcomes than patients without circulating tumor cells. Additionally, the team has uncovered evidence that not all circulating tumor cells are the same, and some may predict worse outcomes than others.

胰臟癌患者具循環腫瘤細胞者，往往比無循環腫瘤細胞更壞的結果。此外，該小組已發現證據表明，並非所有的循環腫瘤細胞是相同的，有些結果可能更糟糕。

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are cells that have detached from a primary tumor and circulate in the bloodstream. CTCs may constitute seeds for subsequent growth of additional tumors (metastasis) in different tissues.
Pancreatic Cancer: (胰臟癌/胰腺癌): is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. Each year in the United States, about 42,470 individuals are diagnosed with this condition and 35,240 die from the disease.



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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Fox Chase Cancer Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.