Abstract
Serum ferritin levels were measured before treatment, using an immunoradiometric method, in 39 patients with small cell lung cancer. In 11 patients serial estimations were also made. The median serum ferritin level for male patients was 660 μg/l (range 13–1329) and for females 306 (range 134–5300), the normal range being 32–501. This increase is significant ( P < 0.001). Serum ferritin levels were not related to metastatic, haematological or iron status. Serial ferritin levels did not reflect the clinical course of the disease. Patients with a pre-treatment serum ferritin of < 600 μg/l had a significant prolongation of median survival compared to those with an initial serum ferritin of > 600 μg/l ( P < 0.02). Serum ferritin levels are not of value in staging small cell lung cancer nor in monitoring its progress. However, the initial serum ferritin is of prognostic significance.
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