Monitoring cytokeratin fragment 19 (CYFRA 21-1) serum levels for early prediction of recurrence of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in the lung after surgical resection

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the markers' clinical usefulness for early prediction of recurrence, by serial and simultaneous measurements of serum cytokeratin fragment 19 (CYFRA 21-1), before and after surgery on patients with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). The 48 patients enrolled in this study had adenocarcinoma of the lung (adenoCa) (including 24 patients with recurrence and 24 patients without recurrence I year after surgery) and 48 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCC) (including 24 cases with recurrence and 24 without recurrence I year after surgery). Serial serum levels of CYFRA 21-1 were measured before the operation and I week, I month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months after surgery for the early detection of recurrence. The results revealed that (1) the mean serum values of CYFRA 21-1 were significantly higher beginning at I month after surgery in the 24 patients with recurrent adenoCa compared with the 24 patients without recurrent adenoCa, (2) mean serum values of CYFRA 21-1 were significantly higher beginning at I month after surgery in 24 patients with recurrent SCC when compared with 24 patients without recurrent SCC, and (3) mean serum values of CYFRA 21-1 were significantly higher beginning at I month after operation in the total 48 patients with recurrent NSCLC when compared with 48 patients without recurrent NSCLC. We conclude that CYFRA 21-1 is not a good marker for early prediction of NSCLC recurrence including adenoCa and SCC after surgery.