Lactate dehydrogenase and serum tumor markers for predicting metastatic status in geriatric patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: No tumor biomarker (TM) is available for de novo metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Objective: To examine the serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin-19 fragments (CYFRA21-1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, CA125, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to predict de novo metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of geriatric (⩾ 60 years of age) patients with lung cancer diagnosed at Shanxi Cancer Hospital from 02/2012 to 12/2017. CEA, CYFRA21-1, CA199, NSE, CA125, TPA, and TPS were detected by ELISA and LDH was detected by LDH kit. Their predictive value was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariable logistic regression.

Results: The positive rates of LDH and TMs were higher in the metastatic group (all P< 0.05). The best single TMs were CYFRA21-1 (70.5% sensitivity) and CA199 (92.0% specificity). When using any two, the best were CYFRA21-1+TPA (77.1% sensitivity) and CA199+TPA or NSE (both 84.1% specificity). High LDH and CA125 statuses were each independently associated with brain, bone, liver, and lung metastases (all P< 0.05).

Conclusions: Abnormal level of LDH and TMs, alone or in combination, had predictive value for metastasis in geriatric patients with lung adenocarcinoma; these indicators were also associated with the metastatic site.