title: Prognostic significance of preoperative serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 level in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We retrospectively analyzed the prognostic significance of preoperative serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) level in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 175 NSCLC patients who underwent curative surgery between 2009 and 2011. We subdivided the patients into 2 groups: with and without interstitial lung disease (ILD). Prognostic significance of serum KL-6 level was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year survival of patients with high serum KL-6 level was poor. Multivariate analysis also revealed the prognostic significance of serum KL-6 level. Serum KL-6 level was also a prognostic factor for patients without ILD. Although the number of patients with ILD was small, in patients with ILD, there was a trend towards an association between serum KL-6 level and patients' prognosis but this did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum KL-6 level is a prognostic factor for resected NSCLC patients, especially patients without ILD. There is a possibility that serum KL-6 level is a prognostic marker regardless of the presence of ILD.
authors: Department of Thoracic and Breast Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan. mtomita@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp.
authors: Masaki
authors: M
authors: Tomita
authors: Department of Thoracic and Breast Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
authors: Takanori
authors: T
authors: Ayabe
authors: Department of Thoracic and Breast Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
authors: Eiichi
authors: E
authors: Chosa
authors: Department of Thoracic and Breast Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
authors: Naohiro
authors: N
authors: Nose
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
authors: Kunihide
authors: K
authors: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000150:complications; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1
keywords: ILD; Non-small cell lung cancer; Prognosis; Serum KL-6 level