title: Prognostic significance of tumour markers in Chinese patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical value of preoperative tumour markers remains elusive in gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9, CA50 and CA72-4 in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  About 391 gastric cancer patients who underwent curative D2 gastrectomy between 2001 and 2006 were evaluated. The correlation between tumour markers and clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic value of preoperative tumour markers was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlation analysis showed that AFP was associated with tumour size (P = 0.040); CEA with lymphatic invasion (P = 0.023) and pathological stage (P = 0.018); CA19-9 with tumour size (P = 0.000), Borrmann type (P = 0.027), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.020) and pathological stage (P = 0.001); CA50 with lymphatic invasion (P = 0.004) and pathological stage (P = 0.004); CA72-4 with tumour size (P = 0.000), tumour size (P = 0.000) and Borrmann type (P = 0.008); lymphatic invasion (P = 0.000), nervous invasion (P = 0.028) and pathological stage (P = 0.000). Multivariate analysis showed that CEA, tumour site, Borrmann type and pathological stage were independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative CEA might be a candidate for the staging system in addition to conventional factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Cancer and Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yanong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D044466:Asian People; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C578959:carbohydrate antigen 199, human