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Understanding Cancer Spread in Solid Cancers

This observational study aims to better understand how solid cancers, like lung, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer, spread and recur after surgery. Researchers will collect blood, urine, and bone marrow samples during your surgery. They will look for tumor cells (circulating and disseminated tumor cells, or CTCs/DTCs) and tumor DNA in these samples. The goal is to see if the number of these cells and DNA can predict how your cancer progresses over five years. This information could help develop more personalized treatments in the future. You may be eligible if you are over 18, have a solid cancer diagnosis, and are undergoing surgery.

Study design
This is an observational study planning to enroll 620 participants. It includes patients with solid cancers and a control group of patients undergoing surgery for non-cancerous conditions.
What's involved
You would provide blood, urine, and bone marrow samples during your surgery. Tissue samples will also be collected.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your patient outcome will be measured for five years after sample collection.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT02838836

Tumor Cell and DNA Detection in the Blood, Urine and Bone Marrow of Patients With Solid Cancers

Recruiting
Not specifiedAges 18+Observational
University of Missouri-Columbia
~620 participants
Updated 2026-05-01 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Study sample collection

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
CTC/DTC numbers measured in blood, urine and bone marrow samples will be correlated with patient outcome
Measured over 5 years

Conditions

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Esophageal Cancer
Gastric Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Hepatocellular Cancer
Colorectal Cancer

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Colorectal CarcinomaEsophageal CarcinomaGastric CarcinomaLung Non-Small Cell CarcinomaMalignant Liver NeoplasmMelanomaPancreatic CarcinomaSarcomaSolid Neoplasm

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Missouri1

Study leadership

  • Jussuf T Kaifi, MD, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University of Missouri

Who to contact

Jussuf T Kaifi, MD, PhD
[email protected]
5738828445
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

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=20).
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.

Exclusion

Pregnant women.
Subjects with the concurrent diagnosis of an active secondary (synchronous) malignancy besides basal cell carcinoma of the skin will be excluded, if there is evidence of disease burden or if the patient is currently being treated with chemotherapy.
Subjects with a hemoglobin of \<8g/dl in the morning of the procedure will be excluded.
In subjects who require intraoperative transfusions of \>4 units of red packed blood cells (RPBCs), no further blood will be drawn for CTC/DTC/cfDNA analysis during surgery or on postoperative day 1.
In patients with coagulation disorders that could lead to significant bleeding (such as hemophilia, significant thrombocytopenia) requiring prophylactic administration of coagulative products, no bone marrow aspiration will be performed.

What this trial measures

  • CTC/DTC numbers measured in blood, urine and bone marrow samples will be correlated with patient outcome5 years

    CTC/DTC numbers in the blood, urine and bone marrow will be determined and correlated with survival data (presence of recurrence, death) by univariate analysis (log rank test), multivariate analysis (Cox regression) and t test/ANOVA