title: Changes in chromogranin a serum levels during endocrine therapy in metastatic prostate cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The concept of neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation in prostate cancer has become more widely recognized as its diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic usefulness.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 38 patients with stage D prostate cancer who underwent endocrine therapy by medical or surgical castration and oral antiandrogen. According to PSA response, serum levels of CGA as a marker of NE differentiation were measured at the multiple points of time; (1) pre-treatment, (2) complete response (CR), (3) a nadir level of PSA, (4) PSA failure or hormone independent progression. We compared these serum values in relation to efficacy of endocrine therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no correlation between serum PSA and CGA values. Patients consisted of 27 with CR and 11 without CR. Serum CGA increased as intervals of endocrine therapy became longer with positive correlation (p < 0.05). Its velocity was higher in patients with PSA failure than in those without it (6.98 vs. 2.09 ng/ml/month, p = 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During endocrine therapy in metastatic prostate cancer patients, serum CGA values were not related to serum PSA levels, and increased as treatment periods became longer. It is suggested that CGA velocity has potential to predict androgen independent progression after endocrine therapy.
authors: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
authors: Tetsuro
authors: T
authors: Sasaki
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Komiya
authors: Hiroyoshi
authors: H
authors: Suzuki
authors: Masaki
authors: M
authors: Shimbo
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Ueda
authors: Koichiro
authors: K
authors: Akakura
authors: Tomohiko
authors: T
authors: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002864:Chromogranins; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen