Significance and correlation between serum proGRP and NSE in the early diagnosis of small cell lung cancer

Objective: To investigate the significance and correlation between serum ProGRP and NSE in the early diagnosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Methods: Serum ProGRP and NSE were detected in 63 patients with SCLC, 40 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 41 patients with benign lung disease, using sandwich enzyme immunoassay and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay respectively. Results: 1 The specificity of individual ProGRP and NSE and the combined detection of ProGRP and NSE for the diagnosis of SCLC were 88.89%, 80.25% and 66.67% respectively, and the sensitivity were 73.02%, 63.49% and 84.13%, respectively. 2 The sensitivity of ProGRP and NSE for the diagnosis of NSCLC were 12.5% and 22.50%, respectively. 3 In SCLCs, the sensitivity of combined detection of ProGRP and NSE was significantly higher than that of NSE alone (P < 0.05), whereas the sensitivity of ProGRP alone and the combination of ProGRP and NSE had no statistical difference (P > 0.05). 4 The sensitivity of each of ProGRP and the combination of ProGRP and NSE in early stage SCLC was insignificantly lower than that in late stage SCLC (P > 0.05). 5 There was a relatively strong correlation between ProGRP and NSE χ² = 5.00, P < 0.05). Conclusion: ProGRP alone and the combined measurement of ProGRP and NSE could be better markers for histopathological type of lung cancer and early diagnosis of SCLCs.