Perioperative Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), MCTCs, and CTC-White Blood Cells Detected by a Size-Based Platform Predict Prognosis in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Table 2

Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis for prediction of PFS.

Variable		Univariate Cox			Multivariate Cox
	HR	95% CI		HR	95% CI
Preoperative CTC ()	1.398	0.569-3.438	0.465	——
Postoperative CTC ()	7.803	2.278-26.728	0.001	7.521	2.065-27.397	0.001
CTC variation (elevated/not elevated)	3.481	1.329-9.119	0.011	2.784	1.001-7.743	0.05
Preoperative MCTC (positive/negative)	1.996	0.718-5.549	0.185	——
Postoperative MCTC (positive/negative)	7.19	1.665-31.05	0.008	8.232	1.826-37.820	0.006
MCTC variation (elevated/not elevated)	3.006	1.218-7.42	0.017	2.329	0.901-6.021	0.081
Preoperative CTC-WBC (positive/negative)	0.925	0.212-4.029	0.917	——
Postoperative CTC-WBC (positive/negative)	3.079	1.169-8.111	0.023	4.108	1.507-11.199	0.006
Postoperative CTCs (T1a vs. T1b-T3)	1.035	0.671-2.437	0.431
Postoperative MCTCs (T1a vs. T1b-T3)	1.234	0.837-1.587	0.202
Postoperative CTC-WBCs (T1a vs. T1b-T3)	1.463	0.734-2.978	0.200

: adjusted by age, sex, T stage, types of surgery, and tumor differentiation. CTC: circulating tumor cells; MCTC: mesenchymal circulating tumor cell; PFS: progression-free survival; : statistical value.