Yosuke Honda1, Hirohisa Katagiri2, Mitsuru Takahashi1, Hideki Murata1, Junji Wasa1, Seiichi Hosaka1, Yuji Ishida3, Ichiro Ito4, Koji Muramatsu4, Tohru Mochizuki5, Yukihiro Matsuyama6, Ken Yamaguchi7. 1. Division of Orthopedic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Shuntou-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan. 2. Division of Orthopedic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Shuntou-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan. h.katagiri@scchr.jp. 3. Division of Pediatrics, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan. 4. Division of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan. 5. Medical Genetics Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka, Japan. 6. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan. 7. Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Shizuoka, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) is an established tumor marker of small cell lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine if ProGRP could serve as a tumor marker for the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFTs). METHODS: Sixteen patients with ESFTs (mean age 32 years) were included in this study. As a control group, 42 patients with other tumor types that clinically or pathologically mimic ESFTs were also analyzed. Pre-treatment serum ProGRP and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels, the relationships between these levels, and tumor volume were investigated. In addition, serial changes in the serum or plasma ProGRP (6 patients) and NSE levels (5 patients) were measured over the course of treatment. RESULTS: Pre-treatment serum ProGRP levels were higher than the normal range in 8 of 16 patients; for these eight patients, ProGRP levels positively correlated with tumor volume (R = 0.99). In the control group, ProGRP levels were within the normal range, except for the two patients. Changes in ProGRP levels during treatment were consistent with tumor volume. Serum NSE levels were elevated in 14 of 16 patients with ESFTs and 8 of 42 patients with other tumor types. The range of NSE elevation was much smaller compared to that of ProGRP. Our data indicate that ProGRP is superior to NSE in terms of specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Serum ProGRP levels were elevated in half of the patients with ESFTs and reflected therapeutic response. ProGRP is a reliable tumor marker for the diagnosis of ESFTs and evaluation of treatment response.
BACKGROUND:Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) is an established tumor marker of small cell lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine if ProGRP could serve as a tumor marker for the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFTs). METHODS: Sixteen patients with ESFTs (mean age 32 years) were included in this study. As a control group, 42 patients with other tumor types that clinically or pathologically mimic ESFTs were also analyzed. Pre-treatment serum ProGRP and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels, the relationships between these levels, and tumor volume were investigated. In addition, serial changes in the serum or plasma ProGRP (6 patients) and NSE levels (5 patients) were measured over the course of treatment. RESULTS: Pre-treatment serum ProGRP levels were higher than the normal range in 8 of 16 patients; for these eight patients, ProGRP levels positively correlated with tumor volume (R = 0.99). In the control group, ProGRP levels were within the normal range, except for the two patients. Changes in ProGRP levels during treatment were consistent with tumor volume. Serum NSE levels were elevated in 14 of 16 patients with ESFTs and 8 of 42 patients with other tumor types. The range of NSE elevation was much smaller compared to that of ProGRP. Our data indicate that ProGRP is superior to NSE in terms of specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Serum ProGRP levels were elevated in half of the patients with ESFTs and reflected therapeutic response. ProGRP is a reliable tumor marker for the diagnosis of ESFTs and evaluation of treatment response.
Entities:
Keywords:
Ewing sarcoma family of tumors; Neuron-specific enolase; Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide
Authors: E R Lawlor; J F Lim; W Tao; C Poremba; C J Chow; I V Kalousek; H Kovar; T J MacDonald; P H Sorensen Journal: Cancer Res Date: 1998-06-01 Impact factor: 12.701