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Updated: Nov 26, 2025
Isolation and Propagation of Circulating Tumor Cells from a Mouse Cancer Model
Published on: October 9, 2015
Circulating tumour cells in pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinicopathological
Tony C Y Pang1, Joseph W Po2, Therese M Becker3
1Pancreatic Research Group, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Australia; Surgical Innovations Unit, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Australia; Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.
Background:
The detection and quantification of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in pancreatic cancer (PC) has the potential to provide prognostic information. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the literature surrounding CTCs in PC.
Methods:
A systematic literature review on CTCs in PC between 2005-2020 was performed. Data based on peripheral vein samples were used to determine the positivity rate of CTCs, their prognostic significance and their relative numbers compared to portal vein (PV) samples.
Results:
The overall CTC detection rate in forty-four articles was 65% (95%CI: 55-75%). Detection rate for CellSearch was 26% (95%CI: 14-38%), which was lower than for both filtration and microfluidic techniques. In nine studies with >50 patients, overall survival was worse with CTC positivity (HR 1.82; 95%CI: 1.61-2.05). Five of seven studies which described PV CTC collection provided patient-level data. PV CTC yield was 7.7-fold (95%CI 1.35-43.9) that of peripheral blood.
Conclusions:
CTCs were detected in the peripheral circulation of most patients with PC and may be related to prognosis and disease stage. PV blood contains more CTCs than peripheral blood sampling. This review points to the maturation of techniques of CTC enrichment, and its evidence base for eventual clinical deployment.
