Prognostic Significance of Serum Iron, Iron-Binding Capacity, Ferritin and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Ferritin Levels in Primary Lung Cancer

Tumor markers were investigated in order to predict the prognosis of lung cancer (LC). It was aimed to find the prognostic value of serum parameters, which may reflect iron metabolism, and of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) ferritin measurement in LC patients. The age, gender, tumor cell type, stage of the disease, serum ferritin levels at diagnosis, BAL ferritin, serum iron, and serum iron-binding capacities (SIBC) of the patients diagnosed with LC were recorded. A total of 3,7 (90.2%) male and 4 (9.8%) female patients, with a mean age of 60.6 years, were included in this study. Mean follow-up period was 11.9 months. During this period, 32 patients (78.0%) died. Levels of serum iron (p= 0.175), SIBC (p= 0.577), serum ferritin (p= 0.426) and BAL ferritin (p= 0.073) did not reveal a difference regarding tumor cell type. Although the mean BAL ferritin and SIBC levels of deceased patients were not statistically different, their mean serum iron level (42.1 +/- 28.0) was lower (74.7 +/- 26.3) than that of survivors (p= 0.003). Serum ferritin levels of deceased patients were higher (395.3 +/- 437.7). and statistically significant compared to survivors (72.9 +/- 46.3) (p= 0.006). A weak positive correlation (p= 0.025, r: 0.349) between serum iron levels and survival, and a weak negative correlation (p= 0.034, r: -0.332) between serum ferritin levels and Survival were detected. Although SIBC and BAL ferritin levels at diagnosis are not correlated with the Survival period in patients with LC, lower serum iron and higher ferritin levels are correlated with poor prognosis.