Figure 1

Haematogenous cancer cell dissemination in patients undergoing pancreatic resection for PDAC. Quantification of EpCAM transcripts in blood using real-time RT-PCR. The postoperative amounts are only significantly higher for PoB versus PB (p < 0.0001). PB: preoperative, PoB: postoperative; D1B: day after surgery; D7B: 7th day following surgery, 6WB: 6 weeks after surgery.