Serum ferritin levels in small cell lung cancer

Serum ferritin levels were measured before treatment, using an immunoradiometric method, in 39 patients with small cell lung cancer. In 11 patients serial estimations were also made. The median serum ferritin level for male patients was 660 micrograms/l (range 13-1329) and for females 306 (range 134-5300), the normal range being 32-501. This increase is significant (P less than 0.001). Serum ferritin levels were not related to metastatic, haematological or iron status. Serial ferritin levels did not reflect the clinical course of the disease. Patients with a pre-treatment serum ferritin of less than 600 micrograms/l had a significant prolongation of median survival compared to those with an initial serum ferritin of greater than 600 micrograms/l (P less than 0.02). Serum ferritin levels are not of value in staging small cell lung cancer nor in monitoring its progress. However, the initial serum ferritin is of prognostic significance.