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Press release New study: Circulating epithelial tumor cells as prognostic markers in prostate cancer

^{Wed, 05 Mar 2025 10:02:46 +0100}

Bayreuth, February 25th, 2025 A recent study conducted by the laboratory Pachmann in Bayreuth, Germany, and the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University Hospital of Jena, Germany, has shown that circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETC/CTC) can be used as a biomarker to assess the risk of recurrence in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The results of the study were published in the International Journal of Molecular Science in February 2025.

In the study, blood samples were taken from 52 prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy at the University Hospital in Jena, Germany. Using the maintrac® method developed by the laboratory Pachmann, these samples were examined for circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETC/CTC) before, during and after radiation therapy in order to analyze changes during the course of treatment.

The results show that there is a correlation between the behavior of the circulating tumor cells and the risk of recurrence. A decrease in the number of circulating epithelial tumor cells during radiotherapy, especially in combination with previous surgery, was associated with a lower risk of recurrence. In contrast, an increase in the number of cells during radiation therapy correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer recurrence. In comparison, conventional PSA monitoring proved to be unreliable for assessing the risk of recurrence in this cohort. However, the researchers emphasize that further clinical studies are needed to establish CETC/CTC as a standardized prognostic marker compared to PSA monitoring.

The study highlights the potential of circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETC/CTC) as a non-invasive method (liquid biopsy) for monitoring disease progression in prostate cancer patients. The full publication can be found here: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041548

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