Diagnostic and prognostic value of serum Cripto‐1 in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer

Abstract Introduction Cripto‐1 (CR‐1) is a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐CFC protein family, which is involved in tumor pathogenesis. Objectives This study aimed to explore the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum CR‐1 level in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Serum specimens from 312 NSCLC patients and 120 healthy controls were collected. Serum CR‐1 level was measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results The serum CR‐1 level was significantly elevated in NSCLC patients compared with healthy controls ( P < .001). Higher serum CR‐1 level was associated with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. With a cutoff value of 1.67 ng/mL, CR‐1 showed a good diagnostic performance for NSCLC. Kaplan–Meier log rank analysis revealed that the low serum CR‐1 patients had a better overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) compared with high CR‐1 patients ( P = .004 and .001, respectively). Further univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that serum CR‐1 level was an independent risk factor of prognosis of NSCLC patients. Conclusions Our study suggests that serum CR‐1 level is a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for NSCLC patients.