title: Circulating procalcitonin in aseptic carcinoma patients: a specificity study with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography as benchmark.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of the study was to evaluate the specificity of serum procalcitonin (PCT) in a large cohort of patients with solid carcinomas at different stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 447 patients having histologically confirmed carcinoma of the breast, head and neck, ovary, cervix or non-small cell lung carcinoma. Patients with a history of small cell lung cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, medullary thyroid carcinoma, sepsis, systemic inflammatory syndrome, renal failure and/or serum C-reactive protein above 5 ng/mL were excluded. Additionally, those with suspicious infectious or inflammatory diseases in (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography were also excluded. Serum PCT concentrations were measured using a Kryptor system (BRAHMS) and a clinical cut-off at 0.5 ng/mL was used to define positive results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum PCT concentrations did not change at different cancer stages (Kruskal-Wallis, p>0.05). No patient had a PCT concentration >0.5 ng/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show that solid carcinomas "per se" did not increase circulating PCT concentrations, regardless of the histotype and stage of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT Center, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland. luca.giovanella@eoc.ch
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giovanella
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suriano
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravani
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ceriani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide