Serum proteomic features for detection of endometrial cancer

To find new potential biomarkers for detection of endometrial cancer (EC), 70 serum samples including 40 from EC patients and 30 from normal healthy females were detected by surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) using WCX2 (weak cation exchange) protein chip. Mass spectra were then assessed with three powerful data-mining tools: a tree classifier, Biomarker Wizard software, and Biomarker Patterns System. The diagnostic pattern combined with 13 potential biomarkers could differentiate EC patients from healthy persons, with a specificity of 100%, sensitivity of 92.5%, and total coincidence of 95.7%. The combination of surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization with bioinformatics tools could help find new biomarkers and establish with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of EC.