Association of carcinoembryonic antigen reduction with progression-free and overall survival improvement in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

2021 
Abstract Background : Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) elevates serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). However, CEA determinations are not recommended in current clinical guidelines. This study aims to identify the correlation between reducing serum CEA levels with progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among advanced NSCLC patients. Methods : This observational, single-institution study assessed at baseline and in every scheduled visit the serum CEA levels throughout first-line therapy. A sensitivity and specificity analysis identified the best cut-off point (best percentage decrease) and correlated it with PFS and OS. Multivariate Cox-proportional hazard models were conducted for each outcome. Results : Seven hundred and forty-eight patients with elevated (>10 ng/dl) serum CEA levels at diagnosis from March 2004 to January 2018 were assessed. A percentage decrease (≥20%) from baseline in the CEA levels was associated with a two-fold median survival compared with patients with lower reductions [20.5 vs. 9.1 months, HR 0.53; (95% CI 0.44 -0.64); p Conclusion : In metastatic NSCLC, patients with elevated CEA levels at baseline, the percentage decrease of CEA concentrations above the threshold during the first-line therapy was associated with more prolonged survival and progression-free intervals. Serum CEA blood level determinations are feasible and represent a non-invasive option for monitoring and prognosis.
    • Correction
    • Source
    • Cite
    • Save
    • Machine Reading By IdeaReader
    47
    References
    0
    Citations
    NaN
    KQI
    []