Serum level of arginine-vasopressin influences the prognosis of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the influence of serum arginine-vasopressin (AVP) level on prognosis of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). We retrospectively investigated the clinical records of 163 patients with ED-SCLC, who were admitted to Okayama University Hospital or National Shikoku Cancer Center Hospital. The influence of 14 pretreatment variables on survival was analyzed. In a multivariate analysis of 163 patients, elevation of serum LDH level (P = 0.028) and poor performance status (PS > or = 2, P = 0.002) were independent poor prognostic factors. In 34 patients whose serum AVP levels were available, high serum AVP level was related to the poor prognosis (P < 0.001). The serum-sodium level did not affect the survival. Median serum level of osmotic pressure in 34 patients was normal (284.9 mOsm/kg), although, serum osmotic pressure was low in four of six patients with high serum AVP level. In all patients with high serum AVP level, serum LDH level was elevated. The data from the current study suggested that serum LDH level and PS were the poor prognostic factors for ED-SCLC. But we additionally identified the prognostic significance of serum AVP level, which may be a more useful factor than serum-sodium level.