title: Serum neopterin levels in lung and breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
abstract: The elevated neopterin levels observed in numerous haemotological diseases and parenchymatous malignomas suggested neopterin might be useful as a tumor marker. In a group of 60 patients suffering from advanced lung (18) or breast (42) cancer, serial determinations of serum neopterin were made before, during and after radiation and/or chemotherapy, during an observation period of 18 months, to check the potential value of neopterin in the therapeutic management of these tumor types. The neopterin profiles were compared with the clinical course and analysed with regard to response to therapy. Numbers of pathologically elevated serum neopterin levels were low. In only few cases was any agreement detected between changes in neopterin levels and therapeutic effects. Even chemotherapeutically induced depression in white blood counts generally did not increase serum neopterin levels. Thus the clinical suitability of neopterin as an adjuvant parameter in assessing therapeutic effects in lung or breast cancer could not be documented.
authors.affiliation: Strahlenabteilung, Auguste-Viktoria-Krankenhaus, Berlin, FRG.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Ingersleben
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Souchon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fitzner
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019798:Neopterin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin