Serum carcinoembryonic antigen level in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with preoperative normal serum level.
OBJECTIVE
The prognostic significance of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with a normal serum CEA level (<5.0 ng/ml) was examined.


METHODS
A total of 220 consecutive NSCLC patients with preoperative normal serum CEA levels were included. Patients were subdivided into two groups: preoperative serum CEA level >/=2.5 and <2.5 ng/ml.


RESULTS
The 5-year survival of patients with preoperative serum CEA level less and more than 2.5 ng/ml were 79.62% and 62.0%, respectively (P = 0.0036). Multivariate analysis indicated that a preoperative serum CEA level of >/=2.5 ng/ml was an independent prognostic factor. Similar results were found in patients with adenocarcinoma but not found in others.


CONCLUSIONS
NSCLC patients with a high serum CEA level, especially adenocarcinoma patients, had poorer prognosis even if their serum CEA levels were within the normal upper limit.
Tomita
Masaki
M
Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan. mtomita@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp
Shimizu
Tetsuya
T
Hara
Masaki
M
Ayabe
Takanori
T
Onitsuka
Toshio
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen