Prognostic significance of serum osteopontin levels in small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) is closely related to tumor occurrence and metastasis. This study explored the clinical value of serum OPN levels in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. METHODS: The ELISA method was used to determine the OPN level of 96 SCLC patients before and after first-line chemotherapy, and compared with 60 healthy controls. RESULTS: The serum OPN level of SCLC patients before treatment was significantly higher than that of the healthy control (P < 0.001). Serum OPN levels were related to disease stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.012, 0.034, and 0.037, respectively). Serum OPN level decreased after first-line chemotherapy (P = 0.019), which was related to treatment response (P = 0.011). The serum OPN level was an independent predictor of overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: The serum OPN level can be used as a biomarker to predict treatment response and survival of SCLC patients.