TY - JOUR T1 - Combined measurements of neuron specific enolase and bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide in lung cancer JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 746 LP - 750 DO - 10.1183/09031936.93.02080746 VL - 2 IS - 8 AU - GV Scagliotti AU - M Piani AU - E Gatti AU - F Gozzelino AU - C Albera AU - E Pozzi Y1 - 1989/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/2/8/746.abstract N2 - Pretreatment serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) and plasma bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide (BN/GRP) were measured in 92 lung cancer patients and 17 controls. The mean level of NSE (p less than 0.001) and BN/GRP (p less than 0.05) was significantly raised in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC, n = 62) compared to non-SCLC (n = 30) and controls. The mean concentration of NSE in extensive SCLC was significantly greater (p less than 0.005) than in limited stage but with a substantial overlap of values. Forty-seven out of 62 SCLC patients had at least one of the two markers raised (sensitivity 76%, specificity 83%), 44 had raised NSE (sensitivity 71%, specificity 89%) but only 24 had BN/GRP raised (sensitivity 42%, specificity 91%). At restaging, 16 of 19 patients with SCLC responsive to chemotherapy showed a significant fall of NSE; on the other hand, BN/GRP fell significantly in only 3 patients, remaining unchanged in the majority of responding patients. In conclusion, the combined determination of NSE and BN/GRP in SCLC, at diagnosis and during the follow-up, was not found to be superior to NSE determination alone. ER -