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Updated: Mar 31, 2026
Mapping Metabolism: Monitoring Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity Directly in Tissue
Published on: June 21, 2018
Serum lactate dehydrogenase and survival following cancer diagnosis
Wahyu Wulaningsih1, Lars Holmberg1,2,3, Hans Garmo1,3
1Division of Cancer Studies, Cancer Epidemiology Group, King's College London, Research Oncology, 3rd Floor, Bermondsey Wing, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK.
Background:
There is evidence that high level of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is associated with poorer overall survival in several malignancies, but its link to cancer-specific survival is unclear.
Methods:
A total of 7895 individuals diagnosed with cancer between 1986 and 1999 were selected for this study. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess overall and cancer-specific death by the z-score and clinical categories of serum LDH prospectively collected within 3 years before diagnosis. Site-specific analysis was performed for major cancers. Analysis was repeated by different lag times between LDH measurements and diagnosis.
Results:
At the end of follow-up, 5799 participants were deceased. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall and cancer-specific death in the multivariable model were 1.43 (1.31-1.56) and 1.46 (1.32-1.61), respectively, for high compared with low prediagnostic LDH. Site-specific analysis showed high LDH to correlate with an increased risk of death from prostate, pulmonary, colorectal, gastro-oesophageal, gynaecological and haematological cancers. Serum LDH assessed within intervals closer to diagnosis was more strongly associated with overall and cancer-specific death.
Conclusions:
Our findings demonstrated an inverse association of baseline serum LDH with cancer-specific survival, corroborating its role in cancer progression.
