Usefulness of chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid measurements in patients with malignant carcinoids.
BACKGROUND
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) system are a heterogeneous group of cancers more common in the small intestine. In patients with malignant NETs, especially carcinoids, a number of prognostic parameters have been considered, such as age, clinical symptoms related to the neoplasm, TNM staging and histological grade, as well as urinary 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA), chromogranin A (CgA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) serum levels.


METHODS
The data from a series of 14 patients (median age 56 years, range 33-72 years) with gastric (N=8), ileal (N=1), colorectal (N=4) or appendiceal (N=1) malignant carcinoids were retrospectively reviewed.


RESULTS
The specificity of CgA, NSE, and 5-HIAA was 86%, 86% and 93%, while the sensitivity was 64%, 36%, and 36%, respectively. There was no relationship between survival and or urinary 5-HIAA (R=0.12, p=0.45), CgA (R=0.22, p=0.21) nor serum NSE (R=0.12, p=0.76) levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of tumor markers is generally low in patients with malignant carcinoids, and both 5-HIAA and CgA levels are independent of survival.
University of Padua, School of Medicine, Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy.
Anna Zaira
AZ
Manfé
Lorenzo
L
Norberto
Marco
M
Marchesini
Franco
F
Lumachi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D053379:Chromogranin A; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase