title: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels predicts the efficacy of EGFR-TKI in non-small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Not all the patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations have a clinical response after the treatment of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). The purpose of the present study was to find whether the baseline carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were associated with the efficacy of EGFR-TKI in patients harboring EGFR mutations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical features, serum tumor marker levels, and survival time were analyzed, retrospectively, in 200 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring EGFR mutations treated with EGFR-TKI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total objective response rate (ORR) is 44.0% and disease control rate is 84.5%. The disease control rate in the patients with high CEA levels was significantly higher than that with low CEA levels (88.3 vs 74.5%, P = 0.029). There was no significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) between high (≥5 ng/ml) and normal CEA groups (< ng/ml; 12.0 vs 8.3m, and P = 0.055). The PFS in patients with higher CEA levels (≥ 20 ng/ml) was longer than in patients with lower CEA levels (< ng/ml; 12.8 vs 8.7m, P = 0.016). Multivariate analysis shows that high CEA level (> ng/ml) were independent predictive factors for PFS (HR = 1.412, 93% CI: 1.042-1.913, P = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline serum CEA levels can serve as predictive factors for the treatment of EGFR-TKI in NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yanwei
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Lou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuqing
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xueyan
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baohui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors