The main specific markers associated with lung cancer include carcinoembryonic antigen, β2 microglobulin, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, neuron-specific enolase, glycoconjugate antigen 50, and carcinoma antigen 125. Patients with lung cancer are examined for carcinoembryonic antigen, which can be elevated in 70% of patients. The sensitivity of carcinoembryonic antigen varies among different pathological types, with adenocarcinoma being the highest, followed by small cell carcinoma and squamous carcinoma in that order. The detection of the presence and expression of tumor markers can assist in tumor determination, differential diagnosis, efficacy observation, recurrence monitoring, and prognosis determination, and has a certain reference value.
1. Elevated lung cancer-related antigens have some reference significance for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. For tumor markers found to be elevated on routine physical examination, further imaging examinations, such as chest CT-enhanced scans and whole-body PET-CT, are recommended to clarify the presence of parenchymal lesions;
2. For tumor markers found to be elevated on postoperative reexamination, suggesting tumor cell proliferation and highly If postoperative recurrence is suspected, further imaging should be performed, or CTC testing can be considered, and chemotherapy or targeted therapy should be implemented as early as possible.