Using Normalized Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Carbohydrate Antigen 19 to Predict and Monitor the Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Abstract

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) are established prognostic biomarkers for patients with gastric cancer. However, their potential as predictive markers for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) efficacy has not been fully elucidated.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective analysis to determine values of CEA and CA19-9 prior to NACT (pre-NACT) and after NACT (post-NACT) in 399 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) who received intended NACT and surgery.

RESULTS:

Among the 399 patients who underwent NACT plus surgery, 132 patients (33.1%) had elevated pre-NACT CEA/CA19-9 values. Furthermore, either pre-NACT or post-NACT CEA /CA19-9 levels were significantly associated with prognosis (p = 0.0023) compared to patients with non-elevated levels. Moreover, among the patients, a significant proportion (73/132, 55.3%) achieved normalized CEA/CA19-9 following NACT, which is a strong marker of a favorable treatment response and survival benefits. In addition, the patients with normalized CEA/CA19-9 also had a prolonged survival compared to those who underwent surgery first (p = 0.0140), which may be attributed to the clearance of micro-metastatic foci. Additionally, the magnitude of CEA/CA19-9 changes did not exhibit a statistically significant prognostic value.

CONCLUSIONS:

Normalization of CEA/CA19-9 is a strong biomarker for the effectiveness of treatment, and can thus be exploited to prolong the long-term survival of patients with LAGC.

• Authors: Xiao-Huan Tang, Xiao-Long Wu, Xue-Jun Gan, Yi-Ding Wang, Fang-Zhou Jia, Yi-Xue Wang, Yan Zhang, Xiang-Yu Gao, Zi-Yu Li
• Journal: International journal of molecular sciences (Int J Mol Sci) Vol. 24 Issue 15 (Jul 29 2023) ISSN: 1422-0067 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 37569566 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Carcinoembryonic Antigen
• CA-19-9 Antigen
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Carbohydrates

Topics

• Humans
• Carcinoembryonic Antigen
• CA-19-9 Antigen
• Stomach Neoplasms (pathology)
• Neoadjuvant Therapy
• Retrospective Studies
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Carbohydrates