title: Prognostic significance of plasma D-dimer levels in patients with lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The peripheral blood concentrations of several proteases of the clotting system have been shown to predict survival in patients with malignancy. A study was undertaken to investigate the independent value of the plasma levels of the D-dimer degradation product of fibrin before treatment for predicting prognosis in patients with lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 70 patients with lung cancer (49 non-small cell lung cancer and 21 small cell lung cancer). Plasma levels of D-dimer were measured using an enzyme immunoassay kit. Multivariate statistical analysis was carried out using the Cox's proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median value of the plasma level of D-dimer differentiated two groups of patients with different outcomes: a group with a D-dimer level of < 150 ng/ml (low DD group) and those with D-dimer levels of > or = 150 ng/ml (high DD group). Survival time was significantly better in patients in the low DD group than in those in the high DD group in all patients (hazard ratio for high DD group = 4.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8 to 11.7). The plasma levels of D-dimer predicted survival independently from the clinical stage of disease, histological type, performance status, and tumour size (hazard ratio = 3.9; 95% CI 1.6 to 9.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that plasma levels of D-dimer might be useful for predicting the clinical outcome in patients with lung cancer. However, further prospective studies are needed in a larger population to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu-city, Japan.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gabazza
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood*; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D