Neurone specific enolase (NSE) in small cell lung cancer: a tumour marker of prognostic significance?

Abstract

Pretreatment serum levels of neurone specific enolase (NSE) were measured in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Median values were significantly higher in patients with extensive compared with limited stage disease (48 ng ml-1 v. 17 ng ml-1: P less than 0.001). Serial NSE levels paralleled the clinical response to treatment. In 37 patients with limited SCLC, receiving identical chemotherapy, the pretreatment NSE level was of prognostic significance: with an approximate reduction in median survival of 10% for each 5 ng ml-1 incremental rise in NSE (P = 0.004).