Clinical value of folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas: a retrospective study
Qiang Zhou,
Qiao He,
Wenwu He,
Chenghao Wang,
Guangyuan Liu,
Kangning Wang,
Haojun Li,
Jialong Li,
Wenguang Xiao,
Qiang Fang,
Lin Peng,
Yongtao Han,
Dongsheng Wang,
Xuefeng Leng
Affiliations
Qiang Zhou
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Qiao He
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Wenwu He
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chenghao Wang
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Guangyuan Liu
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Kangning Wang
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Haojun Li
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jialong Li
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Wenguang Xiao
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Qiang Fang
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Lin Peng
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yongtao Han
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Dongsheng Wang
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xuefeng Leng
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Abstract Background The aim of the study is to explore the role of preoperative folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cell (FR+CTC) levels in predicting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC). Methods Three ml blood samples were prospectively drawn from ESCC patients, and ligand-targeted polymerase chain reaction (LT-PCR) was used for the quantification of FR+CTCs. Other serum indicators were measured by traditional methods. Clinicopathological characteristics were obtained from the hospital medical record system, DFS and OS data were obtained by follow-up. The correlation between clinico-pathological characteristics, DFS, and OS and FR+CTCs were analyzed, respectively. Risk factors potentially affecting DFS and OS were explored by Cox regression analysis. Results there were no significant correlations between FR+CTCs and patient age, sex, albumin, pre-albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and CRP/Albumin ratio, tumor size, grade of differentiation, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, perineural invasion/vessel invasion (all P > 0.05). Nevertheless, preoperative FR+CTCs were an independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR 2.7; 95% CI 1.31-, P = 0.007) and OS (HR 3.37; 95% CI 1.06-, P = 0.04). DFS was significantly shorter for patients with post-operative FR+CTCs ≥ 17.42 FU/3ml compared with patients < 17.42 FU/3ml (P = 0.0012). For OS, it was shorter for patients with FR+CTCs ≥ 17.42 FU/3ml compared with patients < 17.42 FU/3ml, however, the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.51). Conclusions ESCC patients with high FR+CTCs tend to have a worse prognosis. FR+CTCs may monitor the recurrence of cancers in time, accurately assess patient prognosis, and guide clinical decision-making. Trial registration The study was approved by the Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute Ethics Committee (No. SCCHEC-02-2022-050).
