[Correlation between the tumor marker Pro-GRP and prognosis in patients with small-cell lung cancer].

We studied 90 patients with small-cell lung cancer in whom levels of Pro-GRP were abnormally high before therapy. Changes in the serum Pro-GRP level have been said to correlate strongly with therapeutic responses in patients with small-cell lung cancer. We found that changes in the serum Pro-GRP level (half-life > or = 30 vs < 30 days) were a significant prognostic factor. Multivariate analysis showed that in these patients the Pro-GRP level after therapy, Performance Status, and age were independent prognostic factors.