ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effects of preoperative serum cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods This prospective study enrolled 176 patients with ESCC. 2 test was used to analyze the relationship between CA19-9, NSE and general clinical features. Survival curves were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and comparisons were performed using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was performed for multivariate analyses of overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Results The patients with both high CA19-9 and NSE had the poor prognosis compared with those had both low CA19-9 and NSE (OS: HR=2.310, 95% CI: 1.208-4.418; DFS:HR=2.354, 95% CI：1.265-4.381). Compared to the separate detection of the two markers, the combined detection of CA19-9 and NSE was more accurate in the prognosis prediction of patients with ESCC (OS:C-index=0.686; DFS:C-index=0.684). Conclusions Preoperative serum CA19-9 and NSE were risk factors for the prognosis of patients with ESCC. Combined detection had higher accuracy of prediction of prognosis in patients with ESCC.
ABSTRACT
Gynecological carcinomas form a significant proportion of all malignancies in women across the globe. These are associated with an increase in the serum concentrations of certain tumor markers such as cancer antigen (CA)125, CA19.9 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) that correlate with the tumor burden. Methods: Pre- and post-treatment serum levels of CA125, CA19.9 and CEA were determined in 36 patients of ovarian carcinoma, 31 patients of cervical carcinoma and 20 patients of endometrial carcinoma using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The pre- and the post-treatment levels of these markers have been compared and correlated. Results: With primary treatment, CA125 level was significantly reduced in ovarian, endometrial (ps < 0.001) and cervical (p = 0.001) carcinomas and that of CA19.9 was significantly decreased in cervical and endometrial carcinomas (ps < 0.001). Surprisingly, post-treatment CEA level was significantly increased in cervical carcinoma (p = 0.001) with significant increase after radiotherapy (p = 0.003), but not after surgery (p = 0.091). Treatment had no effects on CA19.9 level in ovarian carcinoma and on CEA levels in ovarian and endometrial carcinomas. Pre- and post-treatment levels of CA125, CA19.9 and CEA showed strong positive correlation in cervical carcinoma, while those of CA19.9 showed very strong positive correlation in endometrial carcinoma. Conclusions: Post-treatment serum CA125 level best reflects the treatment effect in all three types of gynecological carcinomas. CA19.9 is reliable to evaluate treatment effect in patients of cervical and endometrial carcinomas. Studies involving larger population size should be conducted to identify the changes in CEA while assessing treatment effect in cervical carcinoma patients.