Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Level in Patients with Head and Neck Malignancy Treated with Radiotherapy

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Early detection followed by properly planned treatment usually increase the life expectancy of the patient, but unfortunately most of the common available diagnostic tools detects tumor when it is more than 5mm in size and hence the prognosis is poor. If micro nuclear level alterations due to malignancy is detected with sufficient sensitivity and specificity could be an effective tool in management of cancer. Few of the blood serum enzymes play a pivotal role in this regard and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) is an important biochemical tumor marker among them. In this study we aim to evaluate the prognostic significance of LDH in head and neck malignancies treated with radiotherapy. Serum LDH levels were analyzed before, midway and at completion of radiotherapy and monthly follow up for six months in 90 biopsy proven head and neck cancer cases treated with radiotherapy. The pretreatment enzyme level showed significant association with the disease. The results corresponding to different tumor staging indicates; tumors with better differentiation of cells had low serum activity while undifferentiated and anaplastic carcinoma had high serum LDH levels. This in turn points that serum LDH may be a prognostic tool in head and neck malignancies and the treatment strategies can be optimized accordingly.