RESUMO
BACKGROUND: An early indicator for monitoring the effect of adjuvant treatment after lung cancer surgery is urgently needed. The study was to explore the effects of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in NSCLC patients with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Two drugs (platinum-containing chemotherapeutics + platinum-free chemotherapeutics) first-line chemotherapy regimen were given after surgery. MRNA of EpCAM was detected. Chest computed tomography, head computed tomography and abdominal B-ultrasound were reviewed before the first and third chemotherapy. RESULTS: EpCAM in CTCs from peripheral blood between the recurrent group and the non-recurrent group at 1 day before surgery, first, second and third adjuvant chemotherapy were no significant differences (P>0.05). Only one day before the fourth adjuvant chemotherapy treatment, it showed significant difference between the recurrent group and the non-recurrent group (P=0.008). There was a significant difference between the time of imaging diagnosis of recurrence or metastasis and the time of monitoring the expression level of EpCAM in CTCs from peripheral blood (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: EpCAM in CTCs from peripheral blood during postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was related to recurrence or metastasis of NSCLC patients.
RESUMO
AIMS: This study was conducted to evaluate the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF in serum of patients with non- small cell lung cancer, for assessing their possible diagnostic and prognostic roles. METHODS: We enrolled 48 patients newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer and 40 healthy controls. TNF- α, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured in the serum of all the subjects with specific radioimmunoassay kits, while EGF was analyzed by sandwich enzyme immunoassay techniques. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed between lung cancer patients and the control group regarding the values of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF in serum. Moreover, TNF-α, IL-8 and VEGF levels were higher in patients with advanced stages compared to early stages. In addition, higher serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF were found in smokers than in non-smokers, both in patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF were all elevated in lung cancer patients, suggesting that inflammatory cytokines could be jointly used as a screening tool. Though TNF-α, IL-8 and VEGF levels were related to advanced disease, long-term survival studies of NSCLC patients should be performed to confirm whether they can act as biomarkers of advanced disease. In addition, smoking would be an important contributor to the processes of inflammation and lung cancer.
