Table 1.
Patients' characteristics of stage IV CRC patients that were analyzed for presence of baseline CTCs
| Total number of patients | 24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | • Mean (SEM) | 63.6 (2.5) |
| • Median (range) | 64 (42–88) | |
| Gender | • Females | 8 (33%) |
| • Males | 16 (67%) | |
| Location of primary tumor | • Rectosigmoid | 16 (67%) |
| • Descending colon | 2 (8%) | |
| • Transverse colon | 1 (4%) | |
| • Right colon/cecum/others | 5 (21%) | |
| Tumor invasion depth of primary tumor (data available in 14/24 patients) | • pT1 | 0 |
| • pT2 | 1 (7%) | |
| • pT3 | 5 (36%) | |
| • pT4 | 8 (57%) | |
| Nodal status of primary tumor (data available in 13/24 patients) | • pN0 | 1 (8%) |
| • pN1 | 1 (8%) | |
| • pN2 | 11 (84) | |
| Lymphatic invasion (data available in 12/24 patients) | • Absent | 3 (25%) |
| • Present | 9 (75%) | |
| Venous invasion (data available in 11/24 patients) | • Absent | 4 (36%) |
| • Present | 7 (64%) | |
| Perineural invasion (data available in 11/24 patients) | • Absent | 6 (55%) |
| • Present | 5 (45%) | |
| Histological differentiation (data available in 21/24 patients) | • Moderate | 15 (72%) |
| • Poor | 3 (14%) | |
| • Undifferentiated | 3 (14%) | |
| Histology of adenocarcinomas (AC) | • AC | 19 (79%) |
| • AC with signet cell features | 2 (8%) | |
| • AC with mucinous features | 3 (13%) | |
| Serum CEA level (ng/ml; normal <5) | • Mean (SEM) | 370.9 (221.0) |
| • Median (range) | 8.0 (1.4–4967.7) | |
| KRAS mutation (codon 12 or 13) | 1/20 (5%) | |
| BRAF mutation (codon 600) | 3/19 (16%) | |
| High EGFR expression | 12/15 (80%) | |
| High ERCC1 expression | 1/14 (7%) | |
| High TS expression | 6/14 (43%) | |
| Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) | • Detectable | 17/24 (71%) |
| • Mean (SEM) | 6.3 (2.9) | |
| • Median (Range) | 1 (0–56.3) | |
| • Low baseline: | ||
| • 0 | 7/24 (29%) | |
| • 1–2 | 10 (42%) | |
| • High baseline: | ||
| • ≥3 | 7 (29%) | |
| Liver metastases present | 15/24 (63%) | |
| Tumor/liver volume ratio (data available in 11/15 patients) | • Low (<30%) | 8/11 (73%) |
| • High (≥30%) | 3/11 (27%) |