Using detection of survivin‐expressing circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood to predict tumor recurrence following curative resection of gastric cancer

Abstract Background and Objectives The present study was designed to investigate the clinicopathological role of survivin‐expressing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and to determine whether the presence of survivin‐expressing CTCs is an independent predictor of tumor recurrence following curative resection of gastric cancer. Methods This study included 98 patients who underwent potentially curative resection. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (RT‐PCR ELISA) was used to measure survivin mRNA in peripheral blood. Results Of the 98 patients studied, 45 (45.9%) were positive for survivin mRNA. Survivin mRNA expression correlated with Lauren classification ( P < 0.001), pathological tumor (pT) stage ( P < 0.001), pathological tumor node metastasis (pTNM) stage ( P = 0.009), and degree of differentiation ( P = 0.001). The pTNM stage and the status of survivin mRNA were independent prognostic factors of disease‐free survival ( P = 0.007 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusions The detection of CTCs expressing survivin mRNA could be a good clinical biomarker used to predict the prognosis of patients with curatively resected gastric cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 103:110–115. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.