Acute phase reactant proteins as prognostic indicators in cancer.

Raised levels of APRPs in a patients with cancer at presentation are generally an unfavourable factor for the patient's survival. The APRPs can be prognostic indicators alone but are more effective when used in combination with powerful indices such as stage and clinical performance status. The pre-treatment APRPs tend to reflect shorter term survival risks up to 18 months and are often raised during the last 6 months of life in patients with disseminated cancer, as well as acute events such as sepsis.