Improved methods using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to detect tumour cells
1999
Improved Methods for Detecting Tumor Cells
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Burchill S A, Lewis I J, Selby P
Primary Institution: Candlelighter's Children's Cancer Research Laboratory, St James University Hospital
Hypothesis
The study aims to compare the sensitivity and reproducibility of RT-PCR for detecting tumor cells using different sample processing methods.
Conclusion
Isolating poly-A+RNA increases the sensitivity and reproducibility of tumor cell detection in peripheral blood.
Supporting Evidence
- One tumor cell spiked in 2 ml of whole blood was detected using RT-PCR.
- No false positives were identified with any method.
- Only analysis of poly-A+RNA had a sensitivity of 100% in all cell spiking experiments.
- Analysis of poly-A+RNA increased the number of blood samples positive for tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA.
Takeaway
This study found that a specific method of processing blood samples makes it easier to find cancer cells, which is important for diagnosing cancer.
Methodology
The study compared four different methods of sample processing using RT-PCR to detect tumor cells.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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