title: [The value of carcinoembryonic antigens in patients with advanced lung cancer: in relation to chemotherapy].
abstract: The serum carcinoembryonic antigens (CEA) levels in 177 advanced lung cancer patients were studied to assess their value for the prognosis and indicating the effectiveness of chemotherapy. The relationship of pretreatment CEA levels with histology and stage of disease was also examined. Levels in excess of 5 ng/ml and 20 ng/ml were found in 55% and 32% of lung cancer patients, respectively. The elevated CEA levels were more frequently observed in patients with adenocarcinoma (65% in excess of 5 ng/ml) and extensive disease, but pretreatment CEA levels were not significantly correlated with the histology and clinical stage of disease. In 102 patients with adenocarcinoma, there was no significant difference of survival time in each patient with CEA levels less than 5 ng/ml, 5.0 less than or equal to - less than 20 ng/ml and in excess of 20 ng/ml; median survival time was 7, 7, 8 mo, respectively, and response to chemotherapy was not significant in each of these groups. Serial serum CEA measurements in patients with pretreatment levels in excess of 20 ng/ml correlated well with changes in disease status reflecting clinical response to chemotherapy. Mean percent changes of CEA levels to pretreatment levels were-77.4% in patients with partial response (PR), -55.6% in those with minor response (MR), -4.0% in patients with no change (NC) and +79.0% in patients showing progressive disease (PD). There was a significant difference in the percent changes of CEA levels between patients with an objective response (PR) and patients who had none (MR + NC) (p less than 0.02). CEA levels of all patients who had PD increased or unchanged. Serial measurements of serum CEA are useful in patients whose pretreatment levels are more than 20 ng/ml for monitoring the response to chemotherapy, and may be a useful noninvasive technique for patients with unmeasurable disease as a monitor of tumor burden in response to chemotherapy and recurrent disease.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002225:Carbazilquinone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015376:Nimustine; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017663:Peplomycin; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014751:Vindesine
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D008937:Mitomycins; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D015376:Nimustine; D001761:Bleomycin; D002225:Carbazilquinone; D016685:Mitomycin; D017663:Peplomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin; D014751:Vindesine