Clinical evaluation of combination assay of tumor markers in primary lung cancer patients

Abstract

Recently, the measurement of tumor markers, particularly for combined measurement, have been reported to be useful for the early diagnosis of cancer. In this study, the authors measured the serum levels of SLX, CA19-9, CA153, CA125, NCC-ST-439, CEA, SCC, NSE, TPA and IAP in 155 patients with primary lung cancer before treatment (76 adenocarcinomas, 40 squamous cell carcinomas, 36 small cell cancers, 3 large cell cancers). Seventy three benign lung disease cases were also studied as controls. The serum levels of CA19-9, CA153, CA125, NCC-ST-439, CEA, NSE and TPA were significantly higher in lung cancer patients than in benign lung disease patients. CA125 and CEA levels in adenocarcinoma, SCC levels in squamous cell carcinoma, NSE levels in small cell cancer and NCC-ST-439 in non-small cell cancer were significantly higher than those of other histological types of cancer. The level of each marker became higher, and was related with advance in stage. The probability of lung cancer was 90% when three markers were positive except for IAP, which was frequently false positive in benign lung disease. In conclusion, the simultaneous, combined measurement of at least three markers, including CEA and/or TPA was considered to be useful for the diagnosis of lung cancer.