Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Feb 24, 2024; 15(2): 165-168
Published online Feb 24, 2024. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i2.165
Circulating tumor cells as prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer
Melek Yakar, Durmuş Etiz
Melek Yakar, Department of Radiation Oncology, Osmangazi University, Eskişehir 26040, Turkey
Durmuş Etiz, Department of Radiation Oncology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir 26040, Turkey
Author contributions: Yakar M and Etiz D contributed to this paper; Yakar M designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Etiz D contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Yakar M and Etiz D contributed to the writing, and editing the manuscript, illustrations, and review of literature.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors have no commercial associations or sources of support that might pose a conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Melek Yakar, MD, Adjunct Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, Osmangazi University, Meşelik Campus Büyükdere District Prof. Dr. Nabi AVCI Boulevard No. 4 26040 Odunpazarı, Eskişehir 26040, Turkey. myakar@ogu.edu.tr
Received: December 3, 2023
Peer-review started: December 3, 2023
First decision: December 7, 2023
Revised: December 16, 2023
Accepted: January 9, 2024
Article in press: January 9, 2024
Published online: February 24, 2024
Processing time: 78 Days and 21.3 Hours
Abstract

In this editorial we comment on the article by Zhang et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Clinical Oncology. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality and has the lowest survival rate among all solid cancers. It causes 227000 deaths annually worldwide, and the 5-year survival rate is very low due to early metastasis, which is 4.6%. Cancer survival increases with better knowledge of risk factors and early and accurate diagnosis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that intravasate from the primary tumor or metastasis foci into the peripheral blood circulation system spontaneously or during surgical operations. Detection of CTC in blood is promising for early diagnosis. In addition, studies have associated high CTC levels with a more advanced stage, and more intensive treatments should be considered in cases with high CTC. In tumors that are considered radiologically resectable, it may be of critical importance in detecting occult metastases and preventing unnecessary surgeries.

Keywords: Pancreatic cancer; Circulating tumor cells; Prognosis; Biomarkers; Overall survival

Core Tip: Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its late onset of symptoms and rapid progression, and therefore has a high mortality rate despite intensive treatments. Detecting patients at an earlier stage is important in terms of cure rates. Predicting occult metastases in radiologically resectable cases will prevent unnecessary surgery. Additionally, if the patient's prognosis can be predicted, different treatment strategies and even personalized treatments may come to the fore. Currently, there is no reliable biomarker for diagnosis, staging or prognosis prediction in pancreatic cancer. Circulating tumor cells are promising in this respect.