Application of serum tumor markers for predicting chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the predictive and prognostic role of the alteration of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) during chemotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods The serum levels of CEA,CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag were measured in 50 patients with advanced ESCC at baseline and after first line chemotherapy.The data was correlated with objective efficacy and overall survival.To evaluate the role of tumor marker change in predicting response to therapy,receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed.Results CEA,SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 increased higher than the cutoffs in 22.0 %,34.0 %,and 44.0 % of tested patients,respectively.Statistically significant correlations were observed between CYFRA21-1 and SCC responses and objective efficacy evaluated by RECIST criteria (Z =3.181,2.389; P = 0.001,0.017).Based on the ROG curve analysis,a post treatment 32 % and 38 % increase in serum concentration was used as cut-off level for defining CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag change,respectively.When the cut-off levels were used to predict chemotherapy efficacy,the accuracy for CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag were 76 % and 70 %.In the univariate survival analysis,a statistically significant prognostic impact on survival from the change of CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag was observed.Conclusion CYFRA21-1 and SCC-Ag are useful for diagnosis,predicting chemotherapy objective efficacy and prognosis in advanced ESCC.