Does anyone know about bio-markers for Lung cancer?

[rinksgal]

I just want to thank everyone for their support. We went back to his family doctor today to just to talk to him about some things. He did some more blood work just to make sure that the fever now going on 10 days plus wasn't from any infection anywhere. Even though he has no symptoms of anything else wrong. The doctor did prescribe him prozac for his depression. I suggested this last night to him. Ever since the fever started back up all he does is lay and sleep. I realize the fever and sweats make him feel tired and sick, but I could tell he was getting depressed, but I was actually shocked when he talked to the doctor about it, I think sometimes its hard for men to admit they need something, but they are no different than anyone else especially when something like lc hits your life.

Does anyone know anything about bio-markers? I've read in several different places that this can be helpful in finding cancer if it returns. His family doctor said its not used with lc, but more with other cancers.

Another thing my heart goes out to everyone on this site!! I've cried reading some of the other post. I will say a prayer for all of you. I know this is the scariest thing I've ever been through in my life, and at times the stress I feel inside is almost unbearable!! Its hard to imagine that we will ever be worry free again.

We went to 2 oncologist and one did give him the option of chemo, but he really advised against it at this time. He said the side effects from chemo would make him really sick and told us of these horrible side effects, and with it only increasing his odds by 5% he didn't advise it at this time, but left it up to us to make the final decision. My Boyfriend at the time felt 5% wasn't worth it, I had some doubt but didn't really voice my opinion to him. I feel some it has to be his decision, but with the fever returning now he's thinking about it. To me 5% is 5%. and I want every percent increase we can get! Could anyone share their opinion on this new study?

[bobmc]

Hi Ringsgal;

My very best to you and your boyfriend, so sorry he is depressed, I was quite the oposite so can't help you there, regarding the bio markers. My oncologist uses CEA ( carcinoembryonic antigen )- Wow Tuff to spell ,

Its checked as part of the blood tests, it's only useful in detecting recurrant disease, and is not fool proof as it can also be a sign of cirrhosis, chronic lung disease and a few other things. My doc plots it on a graph, It was high for me prior to surgery, came down to a normal non-smoker level after surgery and stayed there for about a year , then over the winter rose again, scared the dickens out of me, but was sick with bronchites most of the winter, and has now came back down. , ( when it rose it was a signal to him to have additional testing done ), bone scans, brain scans, which were all negative.Get the picture, hope this helps, I think if you do a search on biomarker thru cancer.com you might find the details, or check with John our resident expert here.

good luck, God bless and hope your boyfriend is feeling better.

Bobmc- NSCLC- stage IIB- left pneumonectomy- 5/2/01

" absolutely insist on enjoying life today!"

[cathy]

Hi ringsgal,

I dont know anything about bio-markers. I did want to tell you I have been reading in a few different articles, I cant remember where I read it, but it has been a couple different sources. They are saying that they think chemo should be part of the protocol with early stage lc. It use to be surgery alone. If I remember it increased your chance of survival by 5-10%. You are absolutely right about lc being scary.

[Guest marciaatl]

Please don't consider me any kind of expert, since I am new to this, having been diagnosed last month. I am scheduled for surgery, and two oncologists I have consulted recommend chemo afteward, for 4 to 6 months.

If this is of any help to you - I have tried not to dwell too much on the 5% benefit, or on many of the percentages having to do with lung cancer. It's not that I want to be ignorant, but I feel I AM being realistic to say that I fully intend to live a long life, and that whatever the percentages are, I intend to be in the survivors group. My firm intention (even though it is puncuated my moments of fear), helps me to act for my own health - pursuing every possibility of successful surgery, eliminating cancer from my body, and being in remission.

I have heard that chemo affects different people in different ways, too, and that even the worst side effects are a temporary situation to move on through.

Of course you and your friend should make the decision right for you, and be OK with it - but hope this helps.

[Guest bucky_a]

Dear rinksgal, I'm sorry that your boyfriend is deprees, I'm dealing everyday trying to faigh depression. i had surgery 5 month ago, stage IB and the doctors tell me that I will be hopfully find. But I wake upe every morning thinking what I had. I wish i can forget, but i can't. I have a big family, ready to be a grandmother in a couple of month and i relly scared.

For my family this is over, but not for me yet. Both of you will be in my prayers, and tray to cheer him up.

Be strong, bucky

[john]

I don't think there is really any definitive tumor marker for lung cancer yet. There is some research going on. CEA is one that researchers are looking into to as bob said. CA 125 is another. LDH for sclc is supposed to be used fairly often I believe but not for NSCLC. NSE is apossible marker to differentiate SCLC and NSCLC. In the end tumor makers for lung cancer are really still in the research stage, I *believe*. But some doctors like bob's are think they are useful.

I am definitely not an expert. I just search the web.

Here is an older article.

http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/5_18.htm

from pubmed ...

"Role of serum tumor markers CA 125 and CEA in non-small cell lung cancer.

Salgia R, Harpole D, Herndon JE 2nd, Pisick E, Elias A, Skarin AT.

Department of adult Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

BACKGROUND: CA 125 and CEA are valuable serum tumor markers that can be used to monitor response to therapy in patients with various solid tumors. Systemic studies of CA125 and CEA have not been evaluated in lung cancer. In this study, we report the serum levels of CA 125 and compared it to CEA in newly diagnosed lung cancer and analyzed the serum levels of these markers pre- and post-therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen patients with newly diagnosed non-small lung cancer were evaluated. CA 125 and CEA levels were correlated with stage and histopathology. RESULTS: CA 125 levels and CEA levels were shown to be lower in patients with early stage disease as compared to patients with unresectable or metastatic disease. CEA levels were significantly higher among patients with adenocarcinoma, while there was no statistically significant relationship between histology and CA 125. There was a statistically significant difference in the CEA and CA 125 levels dependent on tumor size. Thirty-seven patients were analyzed for responses to chemotherapy and responders are more likely to have decreases in CA 125 or CEA. CONCLUSION: When abnormally elevated inpatients witlrlung cancer, CA 125 and CEA are useful indicators of disease extent, a useful clinical therapeutic marker, and may potentially have important prognostic value.

PMID: 11396194 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

"

Another research article

Anticancer Res. 2003 Mar-Apr;23(2A):899-906. Related Articles, Links

Fuzzy logic-based tumor marker profiles including a new marker tumor M2-PK improved sensitivity to the detection of progression in lung cancer patients.

Schneider J, Peltri G, Bitterlich N, Neu K, Velcovsky HG, Morr H, Katz N, Eigenbrodt E.

Institut und Poliklinik fur Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Justus-Liebig Universitat, Aulweg 129/III, 35385 Giessen, Germany.

In lung cancer patients tumor markers are used for disease monitoring. The goal of this study was to improve diagnostic efficiency in the detection of tumor progression in lung cancer patients by using fuzzy logic modeling in combination with a tumor marker panel (Tumor M2-PK, CYFRA 21-1, CEA, NSE and SCC). Thirty-three small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and 69 consecutive inoperable patients (40 squamous and 29 adenocarcinomas) were included in a prospective study. The changes of blood levels of tumor markers as well as their analysis by fuzzy logic modelling were compared to the clinical evaluation of response vs. non-response to therapy. Clinical monitoring was evaluated according to the standard criteria of the WHO. Tumor M2-PK was measured in plasma with an ELISA (ScheBo Biotech, Germany) and all other markers in sera (Roche, Germany). At a 90% specificity, the respective best single marker found the following fraction of all patients who had tumor progression clinically detected: in SCLC with NSE 52%, in adenocarcinoma with CYFRA 21-1 89% and in squamous carcinoma with SCC 65%. A fuzzy logic rule-based system employing a tumor marker panel increased the sensitivity in small cell carcinomas to 73% with the marker combination NSE/CEA and to 63% with the marker combination NSE/Tumor M2-PK, respectively. In squamous carcinomas an improvement of sensitivity is also observed using the marker combination of SCC/Tumor M2-PK (Sensitivity: 81%) or SCC/CEA (Sensitivity: 71%). By using the fuzzy logic method and the marker combination CYFRA 21-1/CEA as well as CYFRA 21-1/Tumor M2-PK, the detection of lung cancer progression was possible in all adenocarcinomas. With the fuzzy logic method and a tumor marker panel (including the new marker Tumor M2-PK), a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of progression in lung cancer patients is available.

[john]

I forgot to add with the decoding of the human genome and the new techniques for examining genes, everyday there are new possible markers being found. Unfortunately, I believe there are thousands if not millions of proteins that interact with each other so it may be a while, but it seems as good markers will be eventually found