Background: Some investigations have shown that evidence of epithelial tumor cells in bone marrow is a relevant prognostic factor in various solid tumors. However there is a lack of data concerning the value of detection methods for epithelial cells in the serum of cancer patients.
Materials and methods: In a prospective study we investigated the blood samples of patients with benign and malignant gynaecological diseases from November 1997 to March 1999. We used an immunocytochemical approach with cytokeratin-directed antibodies CK 8-18 in 135 and A45-13/133 in another 123 patients for detection of epithelial cells.
Results: There was no significant correlation between the detection rate and tumour stage, grading or lymph node status. The CK8-18 antibody had a higher detection rate for epithelial cells than A45-B/B3 (52% vs. 10%).
Conclusion: Both methods showed a low sensitivity and a high specificity. Further studies are needed to determine the prognostic value of epithelial cells in the blood of patients with gynaecological malignancies.