Prognostic impact of serum procalcitonin in non-small cell lung cancer. Issue 5 (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kajikawa, Shigehisa; Ohashi, Wataru; Kato, Yasutaka; Fukami, Masaya; Yonezawa, Toshiyuki; Sato, Mika; Kosaka, Kenshi; Kato, Toshio; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Ito, Satoru; Yamaguchi, Etsuro; Kubo, Akihito
• Is Part Of: Tumori. Volume 107:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 385
• Page End: 391
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: Thoracic oncology -- prognosis -- procalcitonin -- non-small cell lung cancer; Cancer -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1177/0300891620966647
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-8916

Abstract

Introduction: Increased serum procalcitonin (PCT), a well-known biomarker for sepsis, has been reported in several cancer types. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of PCT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Medical records of 51 consecutive patients with NSCLC (Aichi Medical University Hospital) admitted between July 2017 and July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into PCT-low (PCT < 0.1 ng/mL) and PCT-high (PCT ⩾ 0.1 ng/mL) groups, and their clinical characteristics and survival were compared. Results: In contrast to the PCT-low group (n = 24), the PCT-high group (n = 27) showed significantly worse Performance Status (PS) and overall survival (OS) (PS 0–2/3–4, 16/8 versus 12/15, p = 0.034; median OS, not reached versus 127 days, p < 0.001), irrespective of the presence of infection ( p = 0.785). Multivariate analysis showed that the disease stage (IV versus I–III) and high PCT level (⩾0.1 versus <0.1 ng/mL) were significantly worse prognostic factors with hazard ratios of 3.706 ( p = 0.023) and 3.951 ( p = 0.010), respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest that serum PCT in NSCLC was elevated regardless of the presence of infection. Higher PCT levels are associated with poor PS and shorter OS in NSCLC.