Serum levels of c-erbb-2 correlate with advanced stage and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical significance of soluble c-erbB-2 in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer.


METHODS
Serum c-erbB-2 levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 52 patients with colorectal cancer and in 35 healthy controls. Their association with clinicopathological features, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and patient survival was also evaluated.


RESULTS
Serum c-erbB-2 levels in colorectal cancer patients were significantly higher than those in controls and correlated significantly with Dukes' stage and with the presence of liver metastases. Patients with elevated serum c-erbB-2 levels showed shorter survival compared with those with normal serum c-erbB-2 levels although the difference was not statistically significant. There was no relationship between serum c-erbB-2 and CEA levels. Elevated serum c-erbB-2 levels showed a moderate specificity and a low sensitivity in colorectal cancer diagnosis with their sensitivity being lower compared with the sensitivity of CEA.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum c-erbB-2 levels in colorectal cancer patients are significantly higher compared with healthy controls and correlate with advanced disease stage and the presence of liver metastases. However, their clinical usefulness remains questionable.
Polychronidis
Alexandros C
AC
Second Department of Surgery, Democritus University of Thrace, Medical School, Alexandroupolis, Greece. polych@med.duth.gr
Tsaroucha
Alexandra K
AK
Anagnostoulis
Stavros K
SK
Efstathiou
Elefteria E
EE
Georgiadis
Peter G
PG
Simopoulos
Constantinos E
CE
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases