title: Carcinoembryonic antigen level in serum and pleural lavage fluid in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluates the tumor marker index (TMI) based on carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in serum and pleural lavage fluid as a potential prognostic determinant for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and eighty-three consecutive NSCLC patients were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year survival of patients with normal and high serum CEA levels was 71.78% and 51.38%, respectively (P < 0.0001). The 5-year survival of patients with high CEA levels in pleural lavage fluid was 25.0%, which was significantly poorer compared with that of patients with normal lavage CEA levels (78.23%, P < 0.0001). There was a 5-year survival rate of 73.75% in patients with a TMI less than or equal to 1.0 compared to a rate of only 55.12% in patients with a TMI greater than 1.0 (P < 0.001). Both univariate and multivariate analyses indicated the independent prognostic impact of the TMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TMI based on serum and lavage CEA levels might be useful for predicting the prognosis of NSCLC patients.
authors.affiliation: Surgery II, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan. mtomita@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayabe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yonei
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onitsuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D035422:Pleural Cavity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen