title: Serum levels of pro-gastrin-releasing peptide for follow-up of patients with small cell lung cancer.
abstract: To assess the clinical usefulness of serum pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (Pro-GRP) as a tumor marker for small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), we measured serum levels of Pro-GRP with a newly developed ELISA and measured serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in 44 patients with untreated SCLC and 77 patients with untreated non-SCLC. We prospectively measured serum levels of Pro-GRP and NSE in SCLC patients after initial treatment until relapse. The sensitivity (70%) and specificity (91%) of Pro-GRP were similar to those of NSE (70 and 86%). Thirty-nine % of patients who had a partial response still had elevated serum levels of Pro-GRP at the time of restaging after initial treatment. In follow-up study, 94% of patients had elevated serum levels of Pro-GRP again at the time of relapse, whereas 37% of patients showed elevated levels of NSE. Levels of Pro-GRP increased a median of 35 (-95 to 151) days before clinical evidence of relapse was detected with successive physical examinations and imaging studies, whereas levels of NSE increased 20 (-85 to 124) days after relapse was detected (P < 0.05). Pro-GRP was helpful as a diagnostic aid and a marker for therapeutic effect and relapse in patients with SCLC, supplemented to serum NSE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital, and Pharmacology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okusaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saijo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019886:Gastrin-Releasing Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011498:Protein Precursors; D019886:Gastrin-Releasing Peptide; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase