[Tumor markers in the diagnosis of lung cancer]

In groups of 50 patients with lung cancer and 19 patients with non-tumourous pulmonary disease the authors evaluated the contribution of examinations using four tumour markers (carcinoembryonic antigen, beta sub-unit of human choriogonadotropin, neuron-specific enolase and alpha-l-fetoprotein) for statistically significant differences were found only in CEA; NSE and HCG levels were higher in patients with tumours, the differences were, however, not statistically higher in patients with non-tumorous diagnoses. The levels of tumour marker rose in relation to TNM stages. When evaluating tumour markers in relation to histological types of lung cancer, the authors found the highest CEA levels in adenocarcinomas, HCG in the non-differentiated type and NSE were highest in small-cell lung cancer. By means of a mathematical model of discrimination analysis the optimal combination of discrimination signs was defined which was age, CEA and HCG. With the help of the elaborated equation it is possible to differentiate on the basis of our results groups of patients with an almost 80% certainty. The authors conclude that tumour markers are not suitable for screening patients with lung cancer; they can be successfully used as auxiliary diagnostic methods at pneumological and oncological in-patient departments.