Pro-gastrin-releasing Peptide (ProGRP) in Patients with Benign and Malignant Diseases: Comparison with CEA, SCC, CYFRA 21-1 and NSE in Patients with Lung Cancer

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 25; no. 3A; pp. 1773 - 1778
• Main Authors: MOLINA, Rafael, AUGE, Jose M, FILELLA, Xavier, VINOLAS, Nuria, ALICARTE, Julian, DOMINGO, Jose M, BALLESTA, Antonio M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Attiki International Institute of Anticancer Research 01-05-2005
• Subjects: Adult; Antigens, Neoplasm - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - blood; Case-Control Studies; Gastrointestinal Hormones - blood; Humans; Keratin-19; Keratins; Lung Neoplasms - blood; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase - blood; Pneumology; Sensitivity and Specificity; Serpins - blood; Tumors; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Human; Lung disease; NSE; tumor marker; Respiratory disease; CA 125; ProGRP; Lung cancer; Bonchopulmonary small cell carcinoma; Cytokeratin 19; Tumoral marker; Malignant tumor; Gastrin releasing peptide; SCC; Small cell lung cancer; Cancerology; Bronchus disease; CA 125 antigen; Hormone releasing factor; CYFRA 21-1; Comparative study; CEA
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

We studied the specificity and sensitivity of progastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP) in 37 healthy subjects and 195 patients
with benign and 149 with malignant diseases other than lung cancer. Likewise, we compared the ProGRP with other tumor markers
used in lung cancer (CEA, SCC, CYFRA and NSE) in 187 patients with NSCLC and in 66 SCLC patients. We considered 50 pg/ml,
5 ng/ml, 2 ng/ml, 3.3 ng/ml and 20 ng/ml as the upper limits of normality for ProGRP, CEA, SCC, CYFRA 21-1 and NSE, respectively.
Abnormal ProGRP serum levels were found in 10% of patients with benign diseases and in 13% of patients with malignancies other
than lung. Renal failure was the main source of false-positive results (51.6%). Slightly raised ProGRP serum levels, excluding
renal failure, were found in 4.1% of patients with benign diseases (<80 pg/ml) and in 5% of patients with malignancies other
than lung cancer or neuroendocrine tumors (<120 pg/ml). Abnormal levels of ProGRP, NSE, CEA, CYFRA and SCC were found in 30%,
22.5%, 55.6%, 65.2% and 26.7% of NSCLC and in 73%, 64%, 53%, 46% and 4.5% of SCLC, respectively. Tumor marker serum levels
were related to histological type and tumor extension, with ProGRP being the most sensitive marker in SCLC, CEA in adenocarcinomas
and CYFRA 21-1 in squamous tumors. The most sensitive combinations of tumor markers were ProGRP and NSE in SCLC (88%), and
CEA plus CYFRA in NSCLC (82%). In summary, ProGRP is the tumor marker of choice in SCLC and NSE is a complementary tumor marker
in this histological type.