Evaluation of three biochemical markers for serially monitoring the therapy of small-cell lung cancer.

A number of biochemical markers have been proposed for monitoring the therapy of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). This report reviews the experience at a single institution using three biochemical markers, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), for serially monitoring the therapy of patients with SCLC. AGP measurements identified limited-disease patients more frequently than LDH or CEA, and a combination of markers (AGP and LDH) improves the accuracy of correctly classifying patients with active disease. Each of the markers correctly tracked the clinical response to therapy in approximately two thirds of the subjects. The use of a combination of markers should be considered for monitoring the therapy of SCLC in future clinical trials.