Could soluble L1 cell adhesion molecule (sL1CAM) in serum be a new biomarker for endometrial cancer?

The aim of this study is to evaluate the place of serum soluble L1 cell adhesion molecule (sL1CAM) level in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer and its relationship with clinicopathological features.

This cross-sectional study was performed with 146 patients who underwent endometrial biopsy and whose pathology results were reported as benign endometrial changes (n = 30), endometrial hyperplasia (n = 32) or endometrial cancer (n = 84). The sL1CAM level between the groups was compared. The relationship between clinicopathological features and serum sL1CAM was evaluated in patients with endometrial cancer.

The mean serum sL1CAM level in patients with endometrial cancer was significantly higher than in patients without cancer. The sL1CAM value was statistically significantly higher in the group with endometrial cancer, than the group with endometrial hyperplasia (p < 0.001) and the group with benign endometrial changes (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of sL1CAM between the group of patients with endometrial hyperplasia and the group of patients with benign endometrial changes (p = 0.954). sL1CAM value in type 2 endometrial cancer was statistically significantly higher than Type1 (p = 0.019). High sL1CAM level in patients with type 1 cancer was associated with poor clinicopathological features. However, no correlation was observed between clinicopathological features and serum sL1CAM level in type 2 endometrial cancers.

Serum sL1CAM may be an important marker for evaluating the diagnosis and prognosis of endometrial cancer in the future. There may be a relationship between increased serum sL1CAM level in type 1 endometrial cancers and poor clinicopathological features.