title: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen level in pN1 non-small cell lung cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the prognostic significance of the serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in non-small cell lung cancer has been reported in several studies, it is unknown whether the serum CEA level is a prognostic determinant for pN1 disease or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with pN1 non-small cell lung cancer who received complete resection were reviewed. The preoperative serum CEA level was measured in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pN1 patients with pT2-4 disease, hilar node involvement, multiple N1 station and elevated serum CEA level (>5 ng/mL) had a significantly unfavorable prognosis. Although a serum CEA level higher than 5 ng/mL was not an independent prognostic determinant, more than 10 ng/mL was an independent factor by multivariate analysis. In patients with pT1-2N1 disease, a serum CEA level more than 10 ng/mL was also a prognostic determinant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An elevated serum CEA level, especially higher than 10 ng/mL, is a significant prognostic determinant for pN1 lung cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kiyotake, Japan. mtomita@post.miyazaki-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayabe
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onitsuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen