Clinical usefulness of CYFRA 21-1 for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in radiation therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the clinical usefulness of cytokeratin 19 fragments (CYFRA 21-1) compared with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in patients with esophageal cancer treated with radiation therapy.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients with stage I-IV esophageal cancer were evaluated. CYFRA 21-1 and SCC antigen serum levels were measured at the start and the end of radiation therapy.


RESULTS
CYFRA 21-1 (> 3.5 ng/mL) and SCC antigen (> 1.5 ng/mL) before radiation therapy were elevated in 63% and 53% of the patients, respectively. The CYFRA 21-1 levels were significantly correlated with TNM stages, tumor depth and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0003, P = 0.019 and P = 0.019, respectively), whereas no correlation was observed between SCC antigen and these factors. The values of CYFRA 21-1 in all patients who survived without recurrence were under the cutoff level at the end of treatment, but the values in all patients with locoregional recurrence were above the level. However, there was no significant correlation between SCC antigen level at the end of treatment and any clinical outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the evaluation of CYFRA 21-1 would be useful not only for assessment before radiation therapy but also for monitoring after radiation therapy in the treatment for esophageal cancer.
Wakatsuki
Masaru
M
Research Center Hospital for Charged Particle Therapy, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa, Chiba, Japan. masaru.wakatsuki@nifty.com
Suzuki
Yoshihiko
Y
Nakamoto
Soken
S
Ohno
Tatsuya
T
Ishikawa
Hitoshi
H
Kiyohara
Hiroki
H
Kiyozuka
Makoto
M
Shirai
Katsuyuki
K
Nakayama
Yuko
Y
Nakano
Takashi
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053539:Keratin-19; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053539:Keratin-19; D015843:Serpins; C102012:antigen CYFRA21.1; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen; D007633:Keratins