[Serum ferritin in patients with malignant neoplasms]

Serum ferritin levels were studied in 264 patients who were consisted of 153 patients with various malignant neoplasms and 111 patients with various benign diseases. Positive rate of serum ferritin in all patients with malignant neoplasms was 35%. Hepatomas and pulmonary cancer showed relatively high positive rate, respectively 65% and 42%. In patients with benign diseases, hepatic diseases showed the high positive rate (52%) and the other benign diseases was low positive rate (11%). The relationship between serum ferritin and alpha-feto-protein in patients with hepatomas and other liver diseases was low. And the relationship between serum ferritin and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) in patients with malignant neoplasms of gastrointestinal tract was also low. It seemed that the measurement of serum ferritin levels will be of low value in the differentiation of the patients with malignant neoplasms.