title: Neuron-specific enolase can be used as the sole guide to treat small-cell lung cancer patients in common clinical practice.
abstract: Serum samples were collected from 115 small-cell lung cancer patients before each course of chemotherapy and during follow-up. Levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were measured and compared to the clinical assessments of the course of the disease, which were done by the responsible physician without knowledge of NSE-values. The predictive accuracy of an increase or decrease of NSE for a major response (CR + PR), SD or PD was 98%. Importantly no false-positive rises of NSE were observed. On the basis of this large number of data it seems justified to conclude that in common clinical practice the treatment of small-cell lung cancer patients can be monitored by serial measurements of NSE alone.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Dijkzigt, Department of Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Splinter
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teeling
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Peake
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kho
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oosterom
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase