Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of tumor markers in operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A total of 481 NSCLC patients were enrolled in the present study. High levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) were detected in 306 (63.6%), 89 (18.5%) and 125 (26.0%) patients, respectively. Seventy-eight of 481 patients died of disease progression, and the median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 16.0 and 21.0 months, respectively. The three-year DFS rate was 56.7%, and the OS rate was 75.3%. For serum NSE, the three-year cumulative DFS rate for the normal and elevated group was 67.7% and 51.8% (p = 0.007). The OS in patients with high and normal levels of NSE was 34.0 months and 48.0 months, respectively. The median DFS was 46.0 months versus 32.0 months (p = 0.001), and the OS was 48.0 months versus 44.0 months (p = 0.001) in patients with normal and high levels of CA125. For patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the overall survival was significantly shorter in patients with elevated levels of SCC (p = 0.041). In the multivariate analysis high levels of NSE, CA125 and clinical stage were significantly correlated with worse prognosis (p < 0.05). Patients with all three tumor markers elevated presented the worst prognosis (p < 0.05). In our analysis, high levels of preoperative serum NSE and CA125 are correlated with worse survival in operable NSCLC patients.
Highlights
Lung cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in the world
A total of 481 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were enrolled in the present study
Elevated serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels were correlated with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients
Summary
Lung cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in the world. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80%–85% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer [1]. Radical surgery has been the standard treatment for many decades. Tumor stage at diagnosis is the most important prognostic factor to predict survival. The majority of patients are newly diagnosed with NSCLC at a late stage [2], resulting in a high mortality rate. A variety of strategies that adopt a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been investigated in patients with advanced disease post operation
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