The effect of traditional Chinese medicine therapy on serum CA-125 in lung cancer patients

Background and purpose:CA-125 is already recognized as one of the biomarkers for ovarian cancer.The serum CA-125 also had some significance in terms of the diagnosis and determination of the prognostic values for lung cancer.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)therapy on serum CA-125 level in lung cancer patients.At the same time,we investigated the relationship between the serum CA-125 level and the clinical stages as well as the pathological types.Methods:Serum CA-125 levels from 30 normal donors were detected and compared to 60 patients with lung cancer by microparticle enzyme immunosorbant assay(MEIA).Results:Serum CA-125 levels in lung cancer group were(91±45)and significantly higher than those in healthy control group(18±5)(P0.001).For TNM stage,serum CA-125 levels in ⅢA/ⅢB was(85±21)and(142±25)in Ⅳ stage,they were significantly different from those inⅠ/Ⅱ(35±11)stage(P0.001).For histology,serum CA-125 levels in the patients with adenocarcinoma was(127±31)and statistically higher than those with squamous cell carcinoma(58±27)and small cell carcinoma(56±26)(P0.001).Traditional Chinese medicine could decrease serum CA-125 levels in the patients with ⅢA/ⅢB and Ⅳ stage,there were significant differences between before and after treatment(36±11;87±15)vs.(85±21;142±25)(P0.001).,but not in the patients with Ⅰ/Ⅱ stage.Conclusions:TCM therapy can significantly decrease serum CA-125 level in Ш/Ⅳ stage lung cancer patients,and also has a marked tendencey to decrease the serum CA-125 level inⅠ/Ⅱ stage lung cancer patients.Serum CA-125 level may be closely related to clinical TNM stages and pathological types.