[Usefulness and limitation of serum tumor markers in diagnosis of lung cancer]

Abstract

In the clinical practice of lung cancer, serum tumor markers are important laboratory tests and their use is wide spread. Among the various markers for lung cancer, the usefulness of CEA, SLX, SCC and NSE has been firmly established. These markers cannot be used routinely to screen for lung cancer but may be used as complementary tools for diagnosing the tumor. Elevated levels of these markers also appear to be useful for monitoring the response to therapy and tumor progression. CYFRA21-1 and ProGRP, new tumor markers with relatively high sensitivity and specificity to lung cancer, were recently developed. These tumor markers may be useful tools for early detection of lung cancer.