Evaluation of prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells detection in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative radiotherapy: prospectively collected material data.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in nonmetastatic rectal cancer patients treated with short-term preoperative radiotherapy. In this single-center trial, 162 patients with rectal cancer after preoperative short-term radiotherapy (5 × 5 Gy) were recruited from January, 2008 to September, 2011. Clearance of CTC was determined in 91 patients enrolled in the molecular analysis.