Tumor Cell and DNA Detection in the Blood, Urine and Bone Marrow of Patients With Solid Cancers and Subjects Undergoing Lung Cancer Screening
Patients with resectable solid primary cancers and even limited number of metastases are potentially curable. However, most patients develop recurrences despite surgery. Also, early detection of lung cancer with low dose CT screening may cure patients at an early stage. Circulating and disseminated tumor cell (CTC/DTC) and circulating cell-free (cf) DNA isolation from the blood, urine and bone marrow will increase understanding of cancer spread and advance knowledge to develop individualized therapies and improve screening.
• Subjects older than 18 years.
• Subjects of all genders and ethnicities.
• Subjects with the diagnosis of a solid cancer (n=100) of all stages will be included (lung, esophageal, stomach, bile duct/pancreas, colorectal, melanoma, sarcoma).
• Ten patients with no present suspicion and no previous history of any cancer (except basal cell cancer of the skin) that undergo surgeries for other benign indications will serve as controls (n=10).
• In patients undergoing surgery for cancer the histopathology should preferably be pathologically proven by a previous or novel biopsy. Yet, patients with a high cancer suspicion by radiology and clinical picture that undergo cancer surgery will not be excluded. No additional biopsies, testing or interventions will be performed for the purpose of this study if the medical treatment will not require it.
• Subjects must be capable of giving informed consent.
• Lung cancer screening eligibility criteria (n=100): 55-80 years old, \>30 pack years smoking history, and current smoker or have quit within the last 15 years)