Many patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung will have elevated serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE). In these patients the trend in serum NSE concentrations will parallel the tumor burden.
NSE in a patient with small cell carcinoma:
(1) increases in extensive disease and with the number of metastatic sites
(2) decreases with effective therapy
(3) may show a rise that precedes clinical relapse
Causes of a false positive increase in the serum NSE:
(1) hemolysis (from within erythrocytes)
(2) septic shock or pneumonia
(3) stroke or CNS trauma
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