Circulating level of hepatocyte growth factor as a useful tumor marker in patients with early‐stage gastric carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Although conventional tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA19‐9) have been used in gastric cancer patients, clinically useful markers of early gastric cancer have not been identified. The present study was designed to clarify the clinical significance of the circulating level of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as a tumor marker, especially in early‐stage gastric cancer patients. Methods: Preoperative serum HGF levels were measured with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 30 early‐stage and 42 advanced‐stage gastric cancer patients. Results: The mean value of serum HGF in 72 patients was significantly higher than that in the normal subjects. There was a significant increase in serum HGF levels in both advanced‐stage and early‐stage patients compared with normal subjects. The positivity rates of HGF in early disease cases were higher than those of CEA and CA19‐9. The serum HGF level was significantly higher in patients with vessel invasion than in those without invasion. In smaller early gastric cancers, serum HGF elevation was associated with lymphatic invasion. Conclusions: The serum HGF level may be a clinically significant tumor marker in patients with early‐stage, as well as advanced‐stage, gastric cancer. HGF elevation in early‐stage patients may help us to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis of early gastric tumors, even of smaller tumor size. HGF may be a useful indicator for appropriate lymphadenectomy in early gastric cancer.