Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis in Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer Undergoing Prostatectomy
This study will evaluate a method to detect tumor cells that are circulating in the blood without getting a biopsy. The investigators already know from other studies that cancer tumors shed a small number of cells into the bloodstream every day. These are called circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Some early studies indicate the amount and type of CTCs in the blood can help determine the status of the tumor itself and the way it is responding to treatment. In this study, the investigators will compare the number of CTCs in the blood at different time frames before and after surgery to remove the prostate.
• Male
• 18 years of age or older
• Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma
• Non-metastatic prostate cancer
• Planned radical prostatectomy at Massachusetts General Hospital