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Use of carcinoembryonic antigen in small cell lung cancer prognostic value and relation to the clinical course 1
Author(s) -
Laberge Francis,
Fritsche Herbert A.,
Umsawasdi Theera,
Carr David T.,
Welch Susan,
Murphy William K.,
Chiuten Delia F.,
Dhingra Hari M.,
Farha Peter,
Spitzer Gary,
Valdivieso Manuel
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19870615)59:12<2047::aid-cncr2820591214>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - carcinoembryonic antigen , medicine , gastroenterology , multivariate analysis , lung cancer , cancer , oncology
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was measured in 147 patients at diagnosis of small cell lung cancer; 17% of patients with limited disease and 51% with extensive disease had an abnormal CEA level (>10 ng/ml). The median level was higher in extensive than in limited disease (11 ng/ml and 5.8 ng/ml, respectively; P <0.001). Multivariate analysis showed CEA level ≥ 50 ng/ml to be an adverse prognostic factor (P = 0.02); median survival at this level was shorter than at less than 50 ng/ml (7 and 46 weeks, respectively; P = 0.002). No consistent directional changes of follow‐up CEA values were observed in patients with initially normal CEA levels, but normalization of levels occurred in complete responders. We recommend that CEA be measured in this disease at diagnosis as an additional prognostic factor and that patients with abnormal initial CEA levels have follow‐up measurements to aid in evaluating response.