Table 2. The presence of CTCs and their association to clinico-pathologic characteristics of the patients.
| Baseline blood samples | Follow-up blood samples | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | CTC+ (%) | CTC– (%) | p | N | CTC+ (%) | CTC– (%) | p | |
| Total cases | 102 | 27 (26.5) | 75 (73.5) | 78 | 6 (7.7) | 72(92.3) | ||
| Median age, yrs (SD) | 56. 0 (±10.4) | 60.0 (±11.7) | 0.268 | 62.0 (±7.7) | 57.0 (±11.8) | 0.279 | ||
| FIGO stage | 0.005 | 0.408 | ||||||
| II | 4 | 0 (0.0) | 4 (100.0) | 2 | 0 (0.0) | 2 (100.0) | ||
| III | 67 | 12 (17.9) | 55 (82.1) | 62 | 4 (6.5) | 58 (93.5) | ||
| IV | 31 | 15 (48.4) | 16 (51.6) | 14 | 2 (14.3) | 12 (85.7) | ||
| Histology | 0.758 | 0.442 | ||||||
| Serous | 86 | 22 (25.6) | 64 (74.4) | 71 | 5 (7.1) | 66 (92.9) | ||
| Non-serous | 16 | 5 (31.3) | 11 (68.7) | 7 | 1 (14.3) | 6 (85.7) | ||
| Grade | 0.807 | 0.606 | ||||||
| G1 or G2 | 21 | 6 (28.6) | 15 (71.4) | 17 | 2 (11.8) | 15 (88.2) | ||
| G3 | 81 | 21 (25.9) | 60 (74.1) | 61 | 4 (6.6) | 57 (93.4) | ||
| Response to therapy | 0.708 | 0.015 | ||||||
| yes | 72 | 20 (27.8) | 52 (72.2) | 61 | 2 (3.3) | 59 (96.7) | ||
| no | 29 | 7 (24.1) | 22 (75.9) | 16 | 4 (25.0) | 12 (75.0) | ||
| Neo-adjuvant CT | 0.116 | 0.168 | ||||||
| yes | 17 | 7 (41.2) | 10 (58.8) | 10 | 2 (20.0) | 8 (80.0) | ||
| no | 85 | 20 (23.5) | 65 (76.5) | 68 | 4 (5.9) | 64 (94.1) | ||
| Residual disease | 0.724 | 0.188 | ||||||
| yes | 33 | 8 (24.2) | 25 (75.8) | 29 | 4 (13.8) | 25 (86.2) | ||
| no | 69 | 19 (27.5) | 50 (72.5) | 49 | 2 (4.1) | 47 (95.4) | ||
| Peritoneal carcinosis | 0.152 | 0.313 | ||||||
| yes | 67 | 20 (29.9) | 47 (70.1) | 49 | 6 (12.2) | 43 (87.8) | ||
| no | 26 | 4 (15.4) | 22 (84.6) | 21 | 0 (0.0) | 21 (100.0) | ||
| Ascites | 0.152 | 0.582 | ||||||
| yes | 67 | 20 (29.9) | 47 (70.1) | 54 | 5 (9.3) | 49 (90.7) | ||
| no | 26 | 4 (15.4) | 22 (84.6) | 16 | 0 (0.0) | 16 (100.0) | ||
| CA-125 | 0.369 | 0.148 | ||||||
| <35 U/ml | 7 | 3 (42.9) | 4 (57.1) | 26 | 4 (15.4) | 22 (84.6) | ||
| ≥35 U/ml | 82 | 20 (24.4) | 62 (75.6) | 39 | 1 (2.6) | 38 (97.4) | ||
| HE-4 | 0.580 | |||||||
| <290 pM | 42 | 12 (28.6) | 30 (71.4) | n.a. | ||||
| ≥291 pM | 51 | 12 (23.5) | 39 (76.5) | |||||
Cytospin samples from density gradient enriched blood samples taken at diagnosis and six months after completion of first-line chemotherapy were evaluated for the presence of CTCs (OvCa+/CD45– cells) using protocol B. Samples with “ambiguous” staining results were considered to be CTC-negative, unless chromosomal gain was detected by FISH analysis. n.a.: not assessed.