POSSIBLE PREDICTIVE MARKERS OF IMMUNOTHERAPY IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER - RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF A RANDOMIZED STUDY

The aim of this report is to evaluate retrospectively the data from a prospective randomized study of 158 esophageal cancer patients who act ually completed therapy with protein-bound polysaccharide P (PSK) and the 5-year survivals with and without raised alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin and sialic acid levels to determine the value of these parameters in predicting effectiveness of immunotherapy. There was a significant dif ference in survival between the patients with and without PSK therapy. The survival of the radiochemotherapy plus PSK group treated for >3 m onths was significantly better than that of the radiochemotherapy grou p. Among the patients with abnormal levels of alpha(1)-antichymotrypsi n and sialic acid, those who received PSK may have a significantly bet ter survival than those without PSK. These results indicate that the p reoperative serum levels of or alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin and sialic ac id may possibly predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy using PSK.