Association of circulating tumour cells with early relapse and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography uptake in resected non-small-cell lung cancers.

Objectives: More than 20% of lung cancer patients develop a recurrence, even after curative resection. We hypothesized that relapse may arise from the dissemination of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). This study evaluates the significance of CTC detection as regards the recurrence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in surgically resected patients.

Circulating Tumor Cells Identify Early Recurrence in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Radical Resection.

Background: Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stages I-IIIA. However, more than 20% of these patients develop recurrence and die due to their disease. The release of tumor cells into peripheral blood (CTCs) is one of the main causes of recurrence of cancer.