Are serum leptin levels a prognostic factor in advanced lung cancer?

The aim of the present study was to evaluate pre-treatment concentrations of leptin in patients with advanced lung cancer and to investigate possible associations between their levels and clinicopathological variables, response to therapy and overall survival.

There are 71 previously untreated patients with cytological or histological evidence of primary lung cancer who were admitted to the oncology department between November 2013 and August 2014. Forty-five healthy individuals with age, sex and BMI matching the lung cancer patients, were recruited to take part in the study as a control group. Leptin levels were measured quantitatively by using a microELISA kit.

The serum leptin levels at diagnosis were significantly lower in lung cancer patients than those in control subjects (4.75±4.91 ng/ml, 9.67±8.02 ng/ml; p<0.001). We did not find any significant difference in leptin values related to clinicopathological parameters such as ECOG PS, weight loss, histological type, disease stage and TNM classification. Nevertheless, we demonstrated a significant correlation between serum leptin levels and BMI in lung cancer patients (correlation coefficient: 0.303; p>0.010). The analysis of serum leptin values did not show any association with the overall survival of the patients.

Our results showed that the serum leptin level has no prognostic indications in advanced lung cancer patients. Leptin is decreased in lung cancer, and there is lack of correlation with tumour‑related factors including prognosis. Therefore, leptin is not a useful clinical marker in lung cancer (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 22).