[Treatment monitoring of patients with small cell lung cancer by determining levels of serum neuron specific enolase].

The correlation between response to chemotherapy and the serum level of neuron specific enolase NSE as well as value of the test for predicting relapse has been evaluated in 41 patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). A significant decrease of the mean NSE level in comparison with the pretreatment value was observed (p = 0.01). At the time of relapse the mean level increased significantly (p = 0.005). In 9 out of 19 responders to chemotherapy (47.3%) increase of the NSE level above the normal value preceded clinically diagnosed relapse by 3-6 weeks. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the test in treatment monitoring of patients with SCLC.