CYFRA21-1 can predict the sensitivity to chemoradiotherapy of non-small-cell lung carcinoma

Abstract

Background: The increasing panel of systemic therapies enables the individual management of lung cancer patients, even in advanced stages. However, predictive tools indicating the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) are badly needed.Aims: To determine the tumour markers for predicting the therapeutic effect in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients treated with CRT.Methods: The serum levels of cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA21-1), neurone-specific enolase (NSE) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured before CRT by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, while the tumour responses were assessed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) response criteria. The relationships between pretreatment expression of CYFRA21-1, NSE, CEA and the effectiveness of CRT were analysed.Results: The complete response (CR) rate of the primary tumours estimated by computed tomography in patients with high levels of CYFRA21-1 was 2.9% (2/68) while in cases with low CYFRA21-1 it was 20.3% (12/59) (p = 0.005). The effective rates (CR+PR) in CYFRA21-1 high and low groups were 52.9% (36/68) and 72.9% (43/59), respectively (p = 0.022).Conclusions: CYFRA21-1 may be a reliable surrogate marker of CRT efficacy in patients with NSCLC.