Table 1. Univariate analyses of clinicopathologic factors associated with detection rate and count of CEC and CTC.
| CEC + | CTC + | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | p | Mean (median;range) | p | N (%) | p | Mean (median;range) | p | |
| Gender | ||||||||
| Male | 31 (38.8) | 0.03 | 77.9 (17; 0 – 1120) | 0.009 | 11 (13.8) | 0.05 | 0.7 (0; 0 – 8) | 0.06 |
| Female | 35 (58.3) | 88.3 (24; 0 – 911) | 17 (28.3) | 3.4 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Age [years] | ||||||||
| < 65 | 38 (44.2) | 0.39 | 68 (18.5; 0 – 983) | 0.28 | 17 (19.8) | 0.97 | 2.1 (0; 0 – 83) | 0.82 |
| ≥ 65 | 28 (51.6) | 105.3 (23; 0 – 1120) | 11 (20.4) | 1.5 (0; 0 – 34) | ||||
| Disease-free interval [months] | ||||||||
| < 12 | 44 (47.8) | 0.86 | 94.2 (20; 0 – 1120) | 0.25 | 21 (22.8) | 0.28 | 1.9 (0; 0 – 83) | 0.47 |
| ≥ 12 | 22 (45.8) | 59.8 (18.5; 0 – 655) | 7 (14.6) | 1.8 (0; 0 – 34) | ||||
| Node-positive primary | ||||||||
| Yes | 47 (51.1) | 0.22 | 92.0 (22.5; 0 – 983) | 0.19 | 20 (21.7) | 0.51 | 2.0 (0; 0 – 83) | 0.96 |
| No | 19 (39.6) | 63.9 (17.5; 0 – 1120) | 8 (16.7) | 1.6 (0; 0 – 34) | ||||
| Site of primary tumor | ||||||||
| Colon | 42 (43.8) | 0.28 | 61.3 (19.5; 0 – 1120) | 0.12 | 23 (23.9) | 0.11 | 2.1 (0; 0 – 83) | 0.08 |
| Rectum | 24 (54.6) | 128.4 (23; 0 – 805) | 5 (11.4) | 1.3 (0; 0 – 34) | ||||
| KRAS mutation status1 | ||||||||
| Wild-type KRAS | 19 (40.4) | 0.39 | 68.1 (18; 0 – 1258) | 0.47 | 10 (21.3) | 0.59 | 1.4 (0; 0 – 22) | 0.94 |
| Mutant KRAS | 17 (50) | 126 (20.5; 0 – 983) | 9 (26.7) | 4.4 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Previous resection of primary | ||||||||
| Yes | 48 (50.0) | 0.36 | 60.7 (21.5; 0 – 655) | 0.57 | 13 (13.5) | 0.007 | 1.0 (0; 0 – 34) | 0.01 |
| No | 18 (40.9) | 129.8 (19; 0 – 1120) | 15 (34.1) | 3.8 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Number of metastases | ||||||||
| 1 | 25 (43.9) | 0.61 | 79.6 (18; 0 -1120) | 0.16 | 10 (17.5) | 0.67 | 0.8 (0; 0 – 8) | 0.62 |
| > 1 | 41 (49.4) | 84.3 (21; 0 -983) | 18 (21.7) | 2.6 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Size of largest metastasis [cm] | ||||||||
| < 5 | 47 (45.6) | 0.57 | 64.0 (20; 0 – 1120) | 0.13 | 10 (9.7) | < 0.001 | 0.6 (0; 0 – 8) | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 5 | 19 (51.4) | 133.5 (24; 0 – 983) | 18 (48.6) | 5.5 (1; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Distribution of metastases | ||||||||
| Unilobar | 50 (49.5) | 0.45 | 82.9 (21; 0 – 1120) | 0.93 | 15 (14.9) | 0.02 | 0.7 (0; 0 – 8) | 0.03 |
| Bilobar | 16 (41.0) | 81.2 (19; 0 – 911) | 13 (33.3) | 4.9 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Extrahepatic disease | ||||||||
| Yes | 9 (60.0) | 0.41 | 64.9 (25; 0 – 448) | 0.61 | 1 (6.7) | 0.3 | 2.1 (0; 0 – 83) | 0.07 |
| No | 57 (45.9) | 85.1 (20; 0 – 1120) | 27 (21.8) | 0.2 (0; 0 – 2) | ||||
| CEA level [μg/l] | ||||||||
| < 2.5 | 18 (46.2) | 0.98 | 93.6 (18; 0 – 1120) | 0.92 | 1 (2.6) | <0.001 | 0.2 (0; 0 – 2) | 0.01 |
| ≥ 2.5 | 47 (47.9) | 80.0 (20; 0 – 983) | 26 (26.5) | 2.6 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| CA 19-9 level [μg/l] | ||||||||
| < 37 | 42 (45.2) | 0.47 | 88.3 (18; 0 – 1120) | 0.65 | 10 (10.8) | <0.001 | 0.8 (0; 0 – 22) | <0.001 |
| ≥ 37 | 23 (52.3) | 74.5 (23; 0 – 911) | 17 (38.6) | 4.3 (1; 0 – 83) | ||||
| MSKCC risk score | ||||||||
| 0 | 2 (40.0) | 0.08 | 24.2 (21; 0 – 54) | 0.06 | 1 (20.0) | <0.001 | 0.8 (0; 0 – 3) | 0.002 |
| 1 | 7 (28.0) | 89.4 (11; 0 – 1120) | 1 (4.0) | 0.4 (0; 0 -8) | ||||
| 2 | 27 (50.0) | 64.3 (21; 0 – 655) | 6 (11.1) | 0.6 (0; 0 – 8) | ||||
| 3 | 23 (60.5) | 77.9 (31.5; 0 - 805) | 8 (21.1) | 1.9 (0; 0 – 34) | ||||
| 4 | 4 (28.6) | 87.8 (14.5; 0 – 983) | 11 (78.6) | 10.3 (3.5; 0 – 83) | ||||
| 5 | 3 (75.0) | 379.5 (298; 0 – 911) | 1 (25.0) | 0.8 (0; 0 – 3) | ||||
| Neoadjuvant chemotherapy | ||||||||
| Yes | 28 (42.4) | 0.29 | 99.1 (17; 0 – 983) | 0.48 | 10 (15.2) | 0.18 | 0.7 (0; 0 – 10) | 0.12 |
| No | 38 (51.3) | 67.5 (23; 0 – 1120) | 18 (24.3) | 2.9 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Neoadjuvant Bevacizumab | ||||||||
| Yes | 13 (35.1) | 0.08 | 79.2 (15; 0 – 805) | 0.09 | 6 (16.2) | 0.52 | 0.8 (0; 0 – 10) | 0.11 |
| No | 53 (51.5) | 83.6 (23; 0 – 1120) | 22 (21.4) | 2.3 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
| Neoadjuvant Cetuximab | ||||||||
| Yes | 6 (42.9) | 0.69 | 172.5 (15.5; 0 – 983) | 0.71 | 2 (14.3) | 0.56 | 0.6 (0; 0 – 3) | 0.89 |
| No | 60 (48.4) | 73.4 (20.5; 0 – 1120) | 26 (20.9) | 2.1 (0; 0 – 83) | ||||
Data are presented as n (%) or mean (median; range); CEA, Carcinoembryonic antigen; MSKCC, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1Data missing for 59 patients.