Circulating Tumor Cells Measurements in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Table 1

Evaluation of serum alpha fetoprotein as a marker of circulation tumor cell in different hepatocellular carcinoma studies. nRT-PCR, nested RT-PCR; qRT-PCR, quantitative RT-PCR.

Author	PCR	Sensitivity	Cases	Samples	Positivity	Predictability of recurrence
[55]	qRT-PCR	1 CHC/10^7	37; 136	Blood; BM	18%; 28%	No; Yes
[64]	qRT-PCR	1 CHC/10^6	38; 25	Blood; BM	10%; 48%	Yes; No
[56]	nRT-PCR	5 cells/1 mL	24	Blood; BM	29%; 43%	Suspect
[54]	Competitive RT	10 cells/9 mL	22; 11	Blood; BM	26%; 45%	NA
[90]	RT-PCR	NA	18	BM	93%	No
[61, 62]	nRT-PCR		33	Blood	52%	Extrahepatic metastases
[57]	nRT-PCR	15 cells/mL	64	Blood	36%	Extrahepatic metastases
[58]	nRT-PCR	1CHC/10^5 mono	20	Blood	25%	No
[91]	nRT-PCR	10^−6 μg/μL of RNA	33	Blood	54%	Yes
[92]	nRT-PCR	1CHC/10^5 mono	87	Blood	36%	Yes
[93]	nRT-PCR	1 CHC/10^7 mono	85	Blood	26–45%	No
[88]	RT-PCR	1 CHC/10^6	52	Blood	25%	No