title: Chromogranin A (CgA) as poor prognostic factor in patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix: results of a retrospective study of 293 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC) is a very rare tumor. Due to its rarity and the long time period, there is a paucity of information pertaining to prognostic factors associated with survival. The objective of this study was to determine whether clinicopathologic finings or immunohistochemical presence of molecular markers predictive of clinical outcome in patients with SCCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We retrospectively reviewed a total of 293 patients with SCCC (47 patients from Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University in china, 71 patients from case report of china journal, 175 patients from case report in PubMed database). Of those 293 patients with SCCC, the median survival time is 23 months. The 3-year overall survival rates (OS) and 3-year disease-free survival rates (DFS) for all patients were 34.5% and 31.1%, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that FIGO stage (IIb-IV VS I-IIa, Hazard Ratio (HR) = 3.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) of ratio = [2.05, 4.63], P<0.001), tumor mass size (≥ 4 cm VS <4 cm, HR = 2.37, 95% CI = [1.28, 4.36], P = 0.006) and chromogranin A (CgA) (Positive VS Negative, HR = 1.81, 95% CI = [1.12, 2.91], P = 0.015) were predictive of poor prognosis. CgA stained positive was found to be highly predictive of death in early-stage (FIGO I-IIa) patient specifically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with SCCC have poor prognosis. FIGO stage, tumor mass size and CgA stained positive may act as a surrogate for factors prognostic of survival. CgA may serve as a useful marker in prognostic evaluation for early-stage patients with SCCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Xiao-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Rui-Ke
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Shu-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Li-Xue
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality*; D002681:China; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A