Prognostic Significance of Hemoglobin, Albumin, Sedimentation, CRP, CEA, CA19-9 and Lipid Profile at the Time of Diagnosis in Patients with Metastatic Gastrointestinal System Cancers and Association with Response to Systemic Chemotherapy

Objectives: Gastrointestinal cancers are common and lethal. Therefore new prognostic parameters are needed. In this study,we investigated the relationship between hemoglobin,sedimentation, crp, albumin, CEA, CA19-9 and serum lipid profile with prognosis and response to treatment in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal system cancer.
Methods: Between April 2010 and September 2012, patients with gastrointestinal system cancers, who had been followed up in the Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, were analyzed retrospectively. We evaluated 25 patients for research group and 25 patients with non-metastatic gastrointestinal system cancers for control group. First, the groups were compared between themselves according to their baseline values. Then,pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy blood values were compared in the metastatic group.
Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age and gender (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant differences between the research and control groups except for baseline CEA levels. Basal CEA levels in research patients were significantly higher (p=0.006). After chemotherapy, objective response was achieved in 20 %of metastatic patients; while the disease was stable or progressive in 80% of patients. After chemotherapy, CRP levels decreased, HDL-C increased and TC/HDL-C ratio decreased in the all chemotherapy responder patients(n=5) compared to the baseline values.
Conclusion: This study showed for the first time that HDL-C increased and the TC/HDL-C ratio decreased in patients with metastatic CRC who responded to chemotherapy. These changes in lipid parameters were correlated with CEA changes.