Prognostic assessment of tumor markers in lung carcinomas

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Serum tumor markers are molecules that are secreted by tumor cells and may be present in small amounts in the serum of healthy individuals. Their role as prognostic factors in lung cancer remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic role of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, and CA 125 in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 112 patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer from two Oncology Centers were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor marker levels were measured prior to treatment. Data regarding clinical characteristics and overall survival were collected. RESULTS: Median overall survival of all patients was 15.97 months. Pre-treatment elevations of CA 125 and CA 15-3 were associated with shorter overall survival (p=0.004 and p=0.014, respectively). Single CEA and CA 19-9 elevations were not associated with a worse prognosis. Patients with two or more elevated markers had a statistically significant decrease in overall survival (p=0.008). In the multivariate analysis, smoking status and number of positive tumor markers at diagnosis were independently associated with a worse prognosis. CONCLUSION: High pre-treatment levels of tumor markers were correlated with decreased survival in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.