CYFRA-21-1 AS A TUMOR-MARKER FOR BRONCHOGENIC-CARCINOMA

Despite extensive research, the role of the commonly employed tumour m arkers in the diagnosis of lung carcinoma is yet to be clarified, The utility of a new marker, CYFRA 21-1, in the preoperative evaluation of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma was investigated, CYFRA 21-1 was determined with a radiometric assay in serum of 280 patients with lun g cancer and 208 patients with various nonmalignant lung diseases, The levels of the marker were significantly higher in lung cancer patient s, Among benign lung diseases, elevated CYFRA 21-1 levels were found i n pulmonary fibro-sis. Using a cut-off of 3.2 ng ml(-1) (95th percenti le of levels obtained in benign lung disease), the total sensitivity o f the marker was 48%, The best sensitivity was obtained in squamous ce ll lung cancer (60%), The highest values of CYFRA 21-1 were found in m etastatic lung cancer, and the marker sensitivity was more elevated in stage mb and IV, On the other hand, 40% of patients with surgically r esectable lung cancer had CYFRA 21-1 levels above the cut-off, We conc lude that CYFRA 21-1 may be satisfactorily employed in the differentia l diagnosis between malignant and benign lung diseases in association with other clinical and radiological data.