Measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen, squamous cell carcinoma related antigen and neuron-specific enolase in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with peripheral lung cancer

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), squamous cell carcinoma related antigen (SCC) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured in 30 patients with peripheral lung cancer, 11 patients with benign lung disease and 19 healthy controls. The mean levels and positive rates of lavaged fluid CEA were 128.0 +/- 16.9 ng/mg and 33.3% in patients with lung cancer, 68.1 +/- 25.9 ng/mg and 9.1% in patients with benign lung disease, and 68.3 +/- 11.6 ng/mg and 5.2% in healthy controls, respectively. The mean levels and positive rates of lavaged fluid CEA in patients with lung cancer were significantly higher than those in patients with benign lung disease (p less than 0.05) and those in healthy controls (p less than 0.05). The mean levels of lavaged fluid SCC and NSE showed no significant difference between cases of lung cancer and benign lung disease or healthy controls. No lavaged tumor marker level in patients with lung cancer showed any close correlation with histologic types and serum levels. In conclusion, measurement of lavaged fluid CEA was considered to be useful in the differential diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer.