Abstract
Local recurrence following curative resection for colorectal cancer may be caused by the seeding of free malignant cells at the anastomotic site. This study investigated the influence of suture material on in vitro tumor cell adherence. Radiolabeled rat colonic cancer cells (RCC5) were incubated with a variety of suture materials, and the relative contribution of chemical composition and physical configuration to cell adherence was assessed. Nonadherent cells were washed free, and the cell adherence was determined by radioactive counting. Marked differences in adherence were observed, with cells preferentially adhering to protein-based and multifilament sutures. These observations were confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. These findings indicate that both chemical composition and physical configuration influence the adherence of tumor cells to sutures and suggest that the use of protein-based and multifilament sutures be carefully considered in situations where free malignant cells may be present following colorectal surgery.
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This study was supported by a grant from the Joint Research Board of St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
The work for this study was carried out at the Department of Surgery, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
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Uff, C.R., Yiu, C.Y., Boulos, P.B. et al. Influence of suture physicochemical and surface topographic structure on tumor cell adherence. Dis Colon Rectum 36, 850–854 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02047382
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02047382