In general, the normal value of neuron-specific enolase is 15.7-17.0 ng/ml. It is one of the enolases involved in the glycolytic pathway and is generally found in neural and neuroendocrine tissues, and is less common in other tissues. Therefore, it can be viewed as a specific diagnostic indicator and also has a part in assessing the prognosis.
The neuron-specific enolase is significantly increased in patients with small cell lung cancer and correlates well with clinical staging such as disease progression.? Patients with non-small cell lung cancer do not have a significant increase, so they can make a good differentiation and are of great clinical value for monitoring changes in small cell lung cancer, evaluating efficacy and the degree of recurrence. In addition, radiotherapy is the most effective treatment for small cell lung cancer, and chemotherapy is also effective in preventing recurrence.
In neuroblastoma, neuron-specific enolase measurements can also be significantly increased and correlate with disease stage and prognosis. Active measurement of changes in values is of high clinical value in the early diagnosis and prognosis of neuroblastoma.
Of course, increased values can also be seen in medullary thyroid carcinoma, pheochromocytoma, melanoma, pancreatic endocrine tumor and so on. Therefore, it is very important to actively carry out relevant diagnosis and treatment.