The value of tumor markers in evaluating chemotherapy response and prognosis in Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the value of tumor markers in monitoring chemotherapy response and predicting prognosis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: We studied carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CYFRA21-1 and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) of 111 untreated patients with advanced NSCLC before and after 2 cycles of chemotherapy, meanwhile evaluating the response according to the image, and analyzed the relationship between tumor markers and response rate, time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS).

Results: The mean percentages of CEA decrease of the 111 patients with advanced NSCLC whose image response was partial response, no response and progressive disease were 22.8, -5.5 and -59.8% (p = 0.002), 28.1, 1.8 and -70.8% for CYFRA21-1 (p = 0.001), and 17.5, -3.1 and -16.9% for NSE, respectively (p = 0.03). The median TTP for all patients was 6.7 months, while the median TTP for CEA decrease and CEA elevated or stable patients was 9.2 and 4.3 months, respectively (p < 0.001). Radiologic and CYFRA21-1 responses were significant predictive factors for TTP on multivariate analysis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). The median OS was 19.2 months for all patients, with a 1-year survival rate of 69.4%. Baseline CEA, baseline CYFRA21-1 and CEA response were significant predictive factors for OS on multivariate analysis (P = 0.004, P = 0.004 AND P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: CEA, CYFRA21-1 and NSE can be used in evaluating chemotherapy response, and CYFRA21-1 response was a significant predictive factor for TTP, while baseline CEA, baseline CYFRA21-1 and CEA response were significant predictive factors for OS in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.