Role of presurgery circulating cancer cells (CTCs) as a potential pronostic factor in patients (pts) with liver surgery (LS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases (M).
518 Background: Kinetic behavior of perioperative CTCs in pts with liver CRC M has been little explored. The aim of this study was to quantified CTCs performance before, just performed and 3 months after radical LS in pts with CRC M and analyzed the surrogate role of CTCs determinations in DFS and OS. Methods: 7.5 ml of blood were drawn in CellSave tubes. CTCs were enumerated before, just performed and 3 months after radical LS. CTCs were immunomagnetically separated and fluorescently labeled using the CellSearch System (Veridex/Immunicon Corp.) Results: From February 2009 to August 2011, 30 pts with LS of CRC M were included. Median age was 59 (45-75); 63.3 % men. Kras status: 63.2% wild-type and 36.8% mutated; 46.7% with synchronous disease. Fong-Criteria (FC) distribution: 30% pts with 1 FC, 36.7% pts with 2 FC and 33.3% pts with 3 FC, of whom 56.7% received neoadjuvant (76.4% fluoropirimidines-based; 29% cetuximab-based; 47% bevacizumab-based) and 73.3% adjuvant treatment. PR and SD were observed in 68.8% and 31.3% of pts, respectively (100% DCR). In 83% of cases, limited LS were done (79.3% R0, median M resected: 2), 20% of pts with synchronous surgery of primary tumour. Of the 15 pts analysed, pCR were observed in 2 (13.3%) with 6 other pts (40%) with major pathological response. With a median of follow-up of 21 months, progression disease occurred in 9 pts (55.6% with liver progression), and 4 pts died. Median CTCs was 0 before (0-2: 85%; ≥3: 14.8%), just performed (0-2: 78%; ≥3: 21%) and 3 months after surgery (0-2: 94.1%; ≥3: 5.9%). DFS for pts with pre-surgery CTCs ≥3 was 10 months, and not reached for 0-2 CTCs group. OS has not been achieved in any CTCs group. In the multivariate analysis, with FC and pre-surgery CTCs, pre-surgery CTCs ≥3 tends to be an independent predictor of outcome (HR: 2.83; CI:0.53-15). Conclusions: Independently of neoadjuvant treatment, pre-surgery CTCs levels ≥3 could be a surrogate of short DFS in pts with LS of CRC M. Our study shown a slight increase in CTCs quantification after LS, instead a significant CTCs decrease was observed after adjuvant therapy. Role of radical LS in kinetic of CTCs should continue to be analysed in future studies.