Aberrant promoter hypermethylation in serum DNA from patients with silicosis

It is well established that patients with silicosis are at high risk for lung cancer; however, it is difficult to detect lung cancer by chest radiography during follow-up treatment of patients with silicosis because of preexisting diffuse pulmonary shadows. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of detection of serum DNA methylation for early detection of lung cancer in silicosis. Serum samples from healthy controls (n = 20) and silicosis patients with (n = 11) and without (n = 67) lung cancer were tested for aberrant hypermethylation at the promoters of the DNA repair gene O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), p16(INK4a), ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A), the apoptosis-related gene death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) and retinoic acid receptor beta (RARbeta) by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Aberrant promoter methylation in at least one of five tumor suppressor genes was detected more frequently in the serum DNA of silicosis patients with lung cancer than in that of patients without it (P = 0.006). Furthermore, the odds ratio of having lung cancer was 9.77 (P = 0.009) for those silicosis patients with methylation of at least one gene. Extended exposure to silica (>30 years) was correlated with an increased methylation frequency (P = 0.017); however, methylation status did not correlate with age, smoking history or radiographic findings of silicosis. These results suggest that testing for aberrant promoter methylation of tumor suppressor genes using serum DNA may facilitate early detection of lung cancer in patients with silicosis.

Mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in the development of adenocarcinoma of the lung

Recently, a mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene has been reported to be implicated in the development of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. However, the involvement of the mutation in atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and multiple adenocarcinomas still remains unclear. We herein examined the EGFR mutations in 9 AAH and 31 adenocarcinoma lesions obtained from 30 Japanese patients. Nine patients had synchronous or metachronous multiple adenocarcinomas and/or AAH. Mutations in exons 18-21 of EGFR gene were analysed using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequence methods. EGFR mutations were detected in 4 (44%) of 9 AAH and in 7 (23%) of 31 adenocarcinomas. A gefitinib-resistant point mutation (T790M) in exon 20 without gefitinib treatment was detected in 1 AAH and 1 adenocarcinoma. The patient with T790M mutated AAH, which also had an exon 19 mutation of D761Y, had synchronous adenocarcinoma, which had only an exon 19 mutation of D761Y. The other exon 19 mutations were all in-frame deletions. In the two patients with synchronous AAH and adenocarcinoma, AAH had mutations at exon 19 although adenocarcinoma did not have any mutations. In the patient with synchronous 2 adenocarcinomas, each had different mutations (exons 19 and 21). In two patients with double adenocarcinomas, 1 adenocarcinoma harbored exon 21 mutations, while the other demonstrated no mutations. Although EGFR mutations appeared to be partially associated with the early steps of adenocarcinoma development, such mutations may possibly occur randomly even in multiple lesions in a single patient.

Severe interstitial pneumonia induced by paclitaxel in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the lung

A 71-year-old Japanese man with adenocarcinoma of the lung developed interstitial pneumonia after treatment with paclitaxel. The patient had acute chills and fever on the fourth day after the second exposure to paclitaxel, rapidly got worse despite empiric therapies, and developed prolonged respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Four months later, he died of respiratory failure due to progression of both interstitial pneumonia and lung cancer. This is the first case developing fatal paclitaxel-induced pulmonary toxicity to date. Interstitial pneumonia should be considered one of the possible life-threatening complications during treatment with paclitaxel.

A phase II trial of combination chemotherapy with irinotecan and amrubicin in pretreated patients with non-small cell lung cancer

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Background: Amrubicin, a totally synthetic anthracycline, is a topoisomerase II inhibitor and highly effective for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a single agent with response rates of 25% to 28%. We previously conducted a phase I trial of combination chemotherapy with irinotecan and amrubicin for NSCLC and found acceptable toxicity profiles with a favorable efficacy in patients with pretreated NSCLC. The aim of this phase II trial was to further evaluate its efficacy and toxicity in this population. Methods: Primary endpoint was objective response. Patients with NSCLC previously treated with one or two chemotherapy regimens were enrolled in this trial. Irinotecan and amrubicin were both administered on days 1 and 8, every 3 weeks at doses of 100 and 40 mg/m2, respectively. Response and toxicity were assessed according to the RECIST guideline and NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0. Results: Thirty-one pretreated NSCLC patients were enrolled between 2004 and 2006. A median number of courses administered was 3 (range: 1 to 6). All patients and courses were assessable for efficacy and safety. Demographics of the patients were as follows: M/F: 21/10, Ad/others: 21/10, ECOG-PS 0/1: 12/19, and smoker/non-smoker: 21/10. Platinum-based regimens were commonly used as the prior chemotherapy. Objective response was obtained in 9 of the 31 patients with a response rate of 29.0% (95%CI: 12.1–46.0%). Grade 4 leukopenia and neutropenia were observed in 6 (19%) and 14 (45%) patients, respectively, whereas thrombocytopenia were generally mild. Grade 3 febrile neutropenia was observed in 7 patients (23%), of whom two patients further developed Grade 4 and 5 septic shock each. Other grade 3 or greater non-hematological toxicities included diarrhea, vomiting, pneumonitis, liver dysfunction in 4, 1, 1 and 2 patients, respectively. At the time of this analysis with a median follow-up time in the surviving patients of 7.5 months, median survival time and median progression-free survival time were 11.9 and 4.0 months, respectively. Conclusion: This combination seemed highly effective for pretreated NSCLC despite the moderate toxicity profiles. Development of efficient patient selection is needed to avoid the serious toxicities.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Recent improvement in the survival of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer enrolled in phase III trials of first-line, systemic chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Few studies have assessed formally whether treatment outcomes have improved substantially over the years for patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) enrolled in Phase III trials. The objective of the current investigation was to determine the time trends in outcomes for the patients in those trials.

METHODS

The literature was searched to identify trials that addressed the role of chemotherapy regimens in the first-line setting for the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Trends were tested by using multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 121 Phase III trials were identified that involved 42,768 patients with 263 chemotherapy arms and 11 best supportive care (BSC) arms, all of which were initiated between 1982 and 2002. Although the number of randomized patients and the proportion of patients with metastatic disease had increased over the years, the number of patients with a poor performance status who were accrued into the trials had decreased. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was been investigated most frequently during the period. The multiple regression analysis revealed a significant improvement in median survival and in the median time to disease progression over the years, with annual prolongations of 0.1203 months (3.609 days) and 0.0617 months (1.851 days), respectively (P< .0001 and P < .0130, respectively). In addition, the use of cisplatin and carboplatin was associated significantly with survival prolongation. The median survival for patients who received BSC also increased progressively over the years (P = .0487).

CONCLUSIONS

The survival of patients with NSCLC in Phase III trials improved slowly but steadily over time, although the main factors responsible for this improvement remain unknown. Nonetheless, the current results also suggested that novel targets and new agents will be required in the future fight against advanced NSCLC.

Relationship between Response and Survival in More Than 50,000 Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy in 143 Phase III Trials

BACKGROUND

The association between the objective response to chemotherapy and survival has not yet been fully evaluated using large cohorts in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

METHODS

We searched for phase III trials conducted between 1991 and 2006 to investigate the role of systemic chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Associations were tested by multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 1255 trials screened, 143 met our criteria, involving 50,569 patients with 309 chemotherapy regimens. In the first-line setting, the median intention-to-treat objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 26.4% and 62.5%, respectively (43,551 randomized patients; 290 trials). The median of the median survival time (MST) was 8.5 months in the first-line setting, and both the ORR and DCR were significantly associated with the MST in the multivariate analysis (regression coefficient = 0.0788 [p < 0.0001] and 0.0794 [p < 0.0001], respectively). Subgroup analysis showed no correlation between the ORR and MST in patients receiving chemotherapy containing molecular-targeted agents (p = 0.3817). In the second-line or later setting, the median ORR was only 6.8%, whereas the median DCR was 42.4% (4318 randomized patients; 19 trials). The median MST (6.6 months) was not associated with the ORR (p = 0.6992), but was associated with the DCR (p = 0.0129), despite the small sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that survival was associated with both the ORR and DCR in the first-line setting, although it should be interpreted cautiously because of the abstracted data-based analysis. Regarding chemotherapy regimens containing molecular-targeted agents and salvage chemotherapy regimens, further assessments are warranted to clarify the association between the parameters.

Aberrant promoter methylation profile in pleural fluid DNA and clinicopathological factors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In samples from 34 lung patients with malignant pleural effusions, we used a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction to detect aberrant hypermethylation of the promoters of the DNA repair gene O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), p16INK4a, ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A), apoptosis-related genes, death-associated protein kinase (DAPK), and retinoic acid receptor beta(RARbeta). There is no association between methylation status of five tumor suppressor genes including MGMT, p16INK4a, RASSF1A, DAPK and RARbeta in pleural fluid DNA and clinicopathological parameters including clinical outcome. Aberrant promoter methylation of tumor suppressor genes in pleural fluid DNA could not be a valuable prognostic marker of NSCLC patients with malignant pleural effusion.

A phase II trial of cisplatin and irinotecan alternating with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and etoposide in previously untreated patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of this trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of cisplatin (P) and irinotecan (I) (PI) alternating with doxorubicin (A), cyclophosphamide (C) and etoposide (E) (ACE) in patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with previously untreated ED-SCLC were enrolled in this trial. In the first, third and fifth cycles, PI (P: 60 mg/m(2) on day 1; I: 60 mg/m(2)/day on days 1, 8 and 15) was administered, whereas ACE (A: 50 mg/m(2) on day 1; C: 750 mg/m(2) on day 1; E 80 mg/m(2)/day on days 1-3) was given in the second, fourth and sixth cycles. Each cycle was repeated every 4 weeks. At the end of six cycles, patients who had obtained a complete response were given prophylactic cranial irradiation.

RESULTS

In total, 28 patients were enrolled, of whom 27 were assessable for efficacy and safety. Objective responses, including 4 (15%) complete responses, were observed in 25 patients (93%). Median survival time was 12.9 months. The principal toxicity was myelosuppression; grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 89 and 4%, respectively. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 30% of patients. Diarrhea was mild (grade 3-4; 4%). All toxicities were reversible and there were no treatment-related deaths. The mean percentage of the delivered doses, relative to the projected doses, of PI and ACE were 84.6 and 91.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate the PI-ACE regimen to have promising activity against ED-SCLC with moderate toxicities.

Serum level of arginine-vasopressin influences the prognosis of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the influence of serum arginine-vasopressin (AVP) level on prognosis of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC).

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated the clinical records of 163 patients with ED-SCLC, who were admitted to Okayama University Hospital or National Shikoku Cancer Center Hospital. The influence of 14 pretreatment variables on survival was analyzed.

RESULTS

In a multivariate analysis of 163 patients, elevation of serum LDH level (P = 0.028) and poor performance status (PS > or = 2, P = 0.002) were independent poor prognostic factors. In 34 patients whose serum AVP levels were available, high serum AVP level was related to the poor prognosis (P < 0.001). The serum-sodium level did not affect the survival. Median serum level of osmotic pressure in 34 patients was normal (284.9 mOsm/kg), although, serum osmotic pressure was low in four of six patients with high serum AVP level. In all patients with high serum AVP level, serum LDH level was elevated.

CONCLUSIONS

The data from the current study suggested that serum LDH level and PS were the poor prognostic factors for ED-SCLC. But we additionally identified the prognostic significance of serum AVP level, which may be a more useful factor than serum-sodium level.

Aberrant promoter methylation in pleural fluid DNA for diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion

Accumulating evidence implicates epigenetic changes such as hypermethylation in carcinogenesis. We investigated whether DNA methylation of 5 tumor suppressor genes in pleural fluid samples could aid in diagnosis of malignant effusion. In samples from 47 patients with malignant pleural effusions and 34 with nonmalignant effusions, we used a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction to detect aberrant hypermethylation of the promoters of the DNA repair gene O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), p16(INK4a), ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A), apoptosis-related genes, death-associated protein kinase (DAPK), and retinoic acid receptor beta (RARbeta). Promoter hypermethylation was associated with malignant effusion for MGMT (Odds ratio (OR) = infinity), p16(INK4a) (OR = infinity), RASSF1A (OR = 13.8; CI, 1.71-112), and RARbeta (OR = 3.17; CI, 1.10-9.11), but not for DAPK. Instead, DAPK methylation was associated with the length of smoking (p < 0.05). Patients with hypermethylation of MGMT, p16(INK4a), RASSF1A or RARbeta were 5.68 times more likely to have malignant effusions than patients without methylation (p = 0.008). Methylations per patient were more numerous for lung cancer than nonmalignant pulmonary disease (0.915 vs. 0.206, p < 0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of methylation in one or more genes for diagnosis of malignant effusion were 59.6%, 79.4%, and 80.0% respectively. In conclusion, aberrant promoter methylation of tumor suppressor genes in pleural fluid DNA could be a valuable diagnostic marker for malignant pleural effusion.

Gefitinib induces premature senescence in non-small cell lung cancer cells with or without EGFR gene mutation

Despite its tremendous antitumor effect in a subset of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the exact mechanism of gefitinib-induced cell death has not been fully determined. In this study, forms of cell death in various NSCLC cell lines after gefitinib exposure was analyzed to elucidate the cell death mechanism of gefitinib. Though higher concentration of gefitinib (10 microM) induced extensive apoptosis in two cell lines (EGFR-mutated PC-9 cells and EGFR wild- type EBC-2/R cells), clinically relevant concentrations of gefitinib (1 microM) induced prominent premature senescence instead of apoptosis in these cells. This induction of senescence was preceded by immediate increase of p16INK4A, p21WAF1/Cip1 and p27Kip1 levels and subsequent G1 cell cycle arrest. These phenomena were not observed in gefitinib-resistant (RERF-LC-MS) cells. Additionally, ex vivo exposure to gefitinib induced senescence in short-term cultured tumor cells that were obtained from malignant pleural effusion of a patient with NSCLC, whose tumor was later revealed to be clinically sensitive to gefitinib. Our results indicate that senescence might be a major anti-tumor mechanism of gefitinib in these NSCLC cells regardless of the EGFR gene mutation status.

Triple Combination Chemotherapy with Cisplatin, Docetaxel, and Irinotecan for Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase I/II Trial

BACKGROUND

To determine the recommended dose and evaluate the response rate and toxicity of triplet chemotherapy using cisplatin, docetaxel, and irinotecan for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with stage IIIB or IV.

METHODS

A total of 65 patients (33 men and 32 women) with advanced NSCLC, a good performance status, and 65 years of age or younger were included in these phase I/II studies. The median age was 52 years. Most patients had performance status 1 (49/65) and stage IV disease (49/65). Adenocarcinoma was the most common tumor histology (55 patients). Cisplatin and docetaxel were given on day 1 and irinotecan on day 2; the cycles were repeated every 3 weeks.

RESULTS

In the phase I study, the maximum tolerated doses of combination cisplatin/docetaxel/irinotecan were, respectively, 80/60/60 (mg/m) and the recommended doses for the phase II study were determined to be 60/60/60 (mg/m), respectively. The dose-limiting toxicities were neutropenia, neutropenic fever, and diarrhea. In the phase II study, 157 cycles of chemotherapy were delivered to 49 patients (median three cycles per patient). The objective response rate was 57.1% (95% confidence interval: 43.1%-71.1%). The median survival time and the actual 2-, 3- and estimated 5-year survival rates were 17 months, 33%, 25%, and 18%, respectively. Grade 3/4 toxicities consisted of neutropenia (92%), neutropenic fever (45%), nausea/vomiting (27%), diarrhea (35%), and hepatic toxicity (2%); there were no cases of treatment-related death.

CONCLUSION

This triplet chemotherapy has shown a promising activity against advanced NSCLC according to admission-based treatment with adequate supportive care. The principal toxicity was neutropenic fever, but supportive care should be explored to reduce this incidence.

Successful treatment of a patient with gastric and duodenal metastases from large cell carcinoma of the lung with carboplatin and gemcitabine

A 62-year-old man with large cell carcinoma of the lung underwent a right upper lobectomy and four months later demonstrated a relapse in the stomach and duodenum. He received systemic chemotherapy consisting of carboplatin and gemcitabine. After the first cycle of chemotherapy, the duodenal lesion disappeared, however, the gastric lesion demonstrated no response. Considering the risk of bleeding or perforation, a partial gastroduodenal resection was therefore performed. Subsequently, he received adjuvant chemotherapy with the same regimen. He has since been doing well for 24 months after the recurrence. Although the prognosis for patients with gastrointestinal metastases from lung cancer tends to be extremely poor, treatment with chemotherapy and a metastasectomy have resulted in this patient, achieving a long survival.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is the most common primary pleural neoplasm. Angiogenesis is an important component of a variety of pathological processes, including carcinogenesis and tumor metastases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most potent known endothelial, cell specific mitogen. The authors assessed the relation between VEGF expression and clinicopathological variables or overall survival, in malignant mesothelioma. We studied 37 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma and found that 36 out of 37 (97.3%) malignant mesothelioma samples were stained positively for VEGF. An increased expression of VEGF was observed in the epithelioid type compared with the other histological types of malignant mesothelioma, including the biphasic and sarcomatoid types. No statistically significant association was observed between VEGF expression and gender, age, or clinical stage. Furthermore, the expression of VEGF did not impact on the survival of patients with malignant mesothelioma. Although VEGF expression might be important for tumor development and maintenance, it was not identified as a prognostic factor in malignant mesothelioma.

Second primary cancer in survivors following concurrent chemoradiation for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Long-term cancer survivors risk development of second primary cancers (SPC). Vigilant follow-up may be required. We report outcomes of 92 patients who underwent chemoradiation for unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer, with a median follow-up of 8.9 years. The incidence of SPC was 2.4 per 100 patient-years (95% confidence interval: 1.0–4.9).

A triplet chemotherapy with cisplatin, docetaxel and gemcitabine in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase I/II study

PURPOSE

We conducted a phase I/II study of triplet chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (CDDP), docetaxel (DCT) and gemcitabine (GEM) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Fifty-three untreated patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC were enrolled. All drugs were given on days 1 and 8. The doses of CDDP and DCT were fixed at 40 mg/m(2) and 30 mg/m(2), respectively. In the phase I portion, a dose escalation study of GEM with starting dose of 400 mg/m(2) was conducted and primary objective in the phase II portion was response rate.

RESULTS

The maximally tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of GEM were determined as 800 mg/m(2) because grade 3 non-hematological toxicity (liver damage, diarrhea, and fatigue) developed in three of nine patients evaluated at that dose level. In pharmacokinetic analysis, C (max) and AUC of dFdC and dFdU were increased along with the dose escalation of GEM. However, no relationship between pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicity or response was observed. Objective response rate was 34% and median survival time was 11.7 months. Though major toxicity was myelosuppression, there were no life-threatening toxicities.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that this triplet chemotherapy is feasible and effective in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Recurrent superior mediastinal primary hemangiopericytoma 23 years after the complete initial excision: a case report

We describe here a patient with a recurrent hemangiopericytoma of the superior mediastinum 23 years after an initial complete resection. In the current biopsy specimen, the tumor cells were much more anaplastic than those seen 23 years ago. Although the patient was treated with chemotherapy, which consisted of ifosfamide and epirubicin, the tumor was unresponsive and he died 6 months later from disease progression. Careful long-term follow-up is mandatory for patients with hemangiopericytomas because recurrence with greater malignancy can develop following an extended disease-free interval.

Recent improvement in lung cancer screening: a comparison of the results carried out in two different time periods

To evaluate recent improvements in lung cancer screening, we compared the results of recently conducted lung cancer screening with those of a previous screening. This study compared the survival of lung cancer patients detected by lung cancer screening conducted between 1976 and 1984 (early period) with that conducted between 1989 and 1997 (late period). Two hundred seventy-six patients with lung cancer were detected in the early period and 541 patients with lung cancer were detected in the late period. The median survival time (late : 49.8 vs. early : 27.8 months) and the 5-year survival rate (late : 47.8 vs. early : 34.8%) of the patients with lung cancer detected in the late period were significantly better than those in the early period (p = 0.0054). Among patients undergoing resection, the proportion of pathological stage I patients in the late period was significantly higher than that in the early period (late : 60.8 vs. early : 54.9%, p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis showed that the screening time period was a significant prognostic factor (hazard ratio = 0.685, 95% confidence interval : 0.563-0.832, p = 0.0002). These results were consistent with the findings of case-control studies of lung cancer screening programs in the late period recently conducted in Japan, which also showed a greater efficacy for screening than for previous case-control studies in the early period.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 expression in malignant mesothelioma

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1, an RNA-binding protein required for mRNA maturation, reportedly is overexpressed in early lung cancer and in several other tumors, including precancerous lesions. Expression of the protein was assessed immunohistochemically in 39 specimens of malignant mesothelioma and five of non-neoplastic pleura, and by flow cytometry in a human epithelioid mesothelioma cell line. No tumor showed overexpression, but 29 of 39 cases showed modest expression. Patients whose tumors showed expression had significantly better survival rates than others. Epithelioid tumors and reactive mesothelial cells were more likely to express the protein than sarcomatoid tumors and resting mesothelial cells. Flow cytometric analysis of an epithelioid mesothelioma cell line demonstrated stronger expression in exponentially growing than growth-restricted cells. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 is expressed widely in malignant mesotheliomas and in reactive mesothelial cells, but is not overexpressed. This protein may regulate proliferation linked with differentiation toward epithelioid morphology in mesothelial cells. Expression of the protein may be a prognostic indicator for patents with malignant mesothelioma.

Elevated pleural fluid RCAS1 is a diagnostic marker and outcome predictor in lung cancer patients

RCAS1, a type II membrane protein also secreted in soluble form, may be important in tumor cell evasion of immune surveillance and contribute to the aggressiveness of human tumors. We examined the implications of elevated pleural fluid RCAS1 at the onset of effusion in lung cancer patients. Of 102 patients presenting with pleural effusion, 59 proved to have a malignant effusion and 43, nonmalignant. Malignant effusions exhibited higher RCAS1 concentrations than nonmalignant effusions (mean +/- SD; 36.3 +/- 114 vs. 2.7 +/- 1.8 U/ml; p=0.014). Lung cancer patients with pleural fluid RCAS1 concentrations below 15 U/ml had a longer mean survival than those with higher concentrations (4.7 vs. 1.7 months; p<0.05). By multivariate analysis, pleural fluid RCAS1 was an independent prognostic factor in lung cancer patients with effusion. In conclusion, RCAS1 determination at onset of pleural effusion is informative for both diagnosis and outcome prediction in lung cancer patients.