Evaluation of serum neural cell adhesion molecule as a new tumor marker in small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is distinguished from other histologic types of lung cancer by possessing a variety of neuroendocrine properties. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is the most frequently elevated tumor marker for patients with SCLC at diagnosis. To assess the value of neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM), another possible tumor marker for small cell lung cancer, NCAM was evaluated in the sera of patients with histologically confirmed SCLC in two prospective multicenter trials.


METHODS
The study includes 221 patients with SCLC, normal human blood donors (n = 34), patients with benign lung disease (n = 53), and patients with non-small cell lung cancer (n = 28). NCAM was determined by means of an enzyme immunoassay, NSE by a radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
The data show the following: (1) 51% (113 of 221) of all patients with SCLC had NCAM levels higher than 20 U/ml, 34% (75 of 221) had NSE levels higher than 25 ng/ml; (2) levels of both markers significantly differ between limited and extensive disease patients; (3) patients with pathologic NCAM and NSE levels have significantly shorter survival times; (4) a positive correlation between pretreatment NSE and NCAM levels was found (n = 221, r = 0.60); and (5) a correlation between serum marker levels and clinical status was found in follow-up studies of 19 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
From these data, it is concluded that NCAM is, along with NSE, a potential tumor marker for SCLC.
Department of Internal Medicine, Philipps-University of Marburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
G
G
Jaques
B
B
Auerbach
M
M
Pritsch
M
M
Wolf
N
N
Madry
K
K
Havemann
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase