Assessing novel prognostic serum biomarkers in advanced pancreatic cancer: the role of CYFRA 21-1, serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, and 25-OH vitamin D3

The present prospective single-center study investigated the prognostic role of novel serum biomarkers in advanced pancreatic cancer (PC). Patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic PC treated with first-line palliative chemotherapy were included. Among others, the serum markers CYFRA 21-1, haptoglobin, serum-amyloid A (SAA), and 25-OH vitamin D3 were determined at baseline and categorized by pre-defined cut-offs [median values (MV), upper limits of normal (ULN), lower limits of normal (LLN), or the natural logarithm (ln)] and correlated with overall survival (OS). Among the 59 pts included, pre-treatment CYFRA 21-1 levels showed a strong correlation with OS independent of the applied cut-off (MV 4.9 ng/ml—14.2 vs. 4.2 months, HR 0.18, p = 0.001; ULN 3.3 ng/ml—14.2 vs. 4.4 months, HR 0.28, p = 0.003; [ln] CYFRA 21-1—HR 0.77, p = 0.013). Lower values of haptoglobin were additionally associated with an improvement in OS (categorized by LLN of 2.05 g/l—10.4 vs. 5.5 months, HR 0.46, p = 0.023; [ln] haptoglobin—HR 0.51, p = 0.036). Pts with baseline SAA values below the MV of 22 mg/l also had a prolonged OS (10.4 vs. 5.0 months, HR 0.47, p = 0.036). For 25-OH vitamin D3 levels, no significant correlation with OS was found. In multivariate analyses, pre-treatment CYFRA 21-1 levels (categorized by MV—HR 0.15, p = 0.032) as well as [ln] haptoglobin (HR 0.30, p = 0.006) retained their independent prognostic significance for OS. CYFRA 21-1, haptoglobin, and SAA might provide useful prognostic information in advanced PC. An external multicenter validation of these results is necessary.