title: Is there any potential clinical impact of serum phosphorus and magnesium in patients with lung cancer at first diagnosis? A multi-institutional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to determine whether the expression of baseline phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) levels were prognostic in terms of stage and overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospectively, 130 patients were selected at the time of diagnosis oflung cancer (100 with NSCLC and 30 with SCLC), before the initialization of any chemo-radiotherapy. The median age was 67 (range 29-92). IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IV stages were present in 3, 4, 19, 6, 25, 8, and 65 patients, respectively. After centrifugation, the levels of serum P and Mg were measured using the nephelometric method/ photometry and evaluated before any type of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher than normal levels of P were found in 127/130 patients, while only four patients had elevated Mg serum values. In terms of Spearman test, higher P serum values correlated with either stage (rho=- 0.334, p<0.001) or OS (rho=-0.212, p=0.016). Additionally, a significant negative correlation of Mg serum levels was found with stage of disease (rho=-0.135, P=0.042). On multivariate cox-regression survival analysis, only stage (p<0.01), performance status (p<0.01) and P serum (p=0.045) showed a significant prognostic value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicated that pre-treatment P serum levels in lung cancer patients are higher than the normal range. Moreover, P and Mg serum levels are predictive of stage of disease. Along with stage and performance status, the P serum levels had also a significant impact on survival. This information may be important for stratifying patients to specific treatment protocols or intensifying their therapies. However, larger series are now needed to confirm our results.
authors: 2nd Department of Radiology, Radiotherapy Unit, Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece E-mail : vkouloul@ece.ntua.gr.
authors: Vassilis
authors: V
authors: Kouloulias
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Tolia
authors: Nikolaos
authors: N
authors: Tsoukalas
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Papaloucas
authors: Kyriaki
authors: K
authors: Pistevou-Gombaki
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Zygogianni
authors: Kyriaki
authors: K
authors: Mystakidou
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Kouvaris
authors: Marios
authors: M
authors: Papaloucas
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Psyrri
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Kyrgias
authors: Vasiliki
authors: V
authors: Gennimata
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Leventakos
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Panayiotides
authors: Zoi
authors: Z
authors: Liakouli
authors: Nikolaos
authors: N
authors: Kelekis
authors: Aristofanis
authors: A
authors: Papaloucas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010758:Phosphorus; D008274:Magnesium