RT-PCR for AFP, HCG, GCAP and PDGF-1 To Detect Circulating Tumour Cells in Testicular Germ Cell Tumours

Abstract

Clinical staging in low volume testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) is inadequate with regard to the correct prediction of final pathological retroperitoneal lymph node status. Serum tumour markers are positive in only about 60 per cent of all patients and imaging modalities such as CT scan or MRI have a false negative rate of 25 per cent and a false positive rate of up to 10 per cent [1] and markers such as Ki-67, PCNA, p53, Bcl-2, E-cadherin and cathepsin D are not helpful [2,3]. It is therefore impossible to adopt an individualized therapeutic approach for patients with low volume TGCT, stratified for risk. Reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is highly sensitive in detecting circulating tumour cells from patients with prostate cancer, melanoma, and hepatic carcinoma [4,5]. We evaluated the clinical significance of the presence of specific PCR-positive mRNA markers in the peripheral blood of patients with TGCT.