In contrast, CK20 gene expression is not an established marker for the classification of tumours and the detection of disseminated cancer cells in colorectal cancer.
The present study aimed to examine whether cytokeratin 20 (CK-20) and prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) are useful markers for the detection of disseminated cancer cells in the blood of tumor patients.
CK20 was limited, in terms of sensitivity, for detecting disseminated cancer cells (sensitivity, 63%; specificity, 91%; positive predictive value, 70%; and negative predictive value, 88%).