Comment on “Plasma Progastrin-Releasing Peptide and Chromogranin A Assays for Diagnosing and Monitoring Lung Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Brief Report”

Chromogranin A (CgA) is the most frequently used tumor marker in well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors. Plasma progastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP), a very stable precursor form of gastrin-releasing peptide, has been reported as a promising tumor marker for SCLC. 1 Nakagawa N. Kawakami M. Suzuki M. et al. Pulmonary carcinoid tumour with remarkably high levels of pro-gastrin-releasing peptide: a case report. Respir Med Case Rep. 2023; 43101836 PubMed Google Scholar ,2 Tutar N. Yetkin N.A. Yazıcı C. Önal Ö. Kontaş O. Keleştemur F. Clinical significance of progastrin-releasing peptide, neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A, and squamous cell cancer antigen in pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors. Turk J Med Sci. 2019; 49: 774-781 PubMed Google Scholar Nevertheless, specific tumor markers for lung carcinoids have not been identified. We read with interest a recent article in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. The authors conducted a clinical study to clarify the diagnostic significance of ProGRPp in lung carcinoid tumors by measuring ProGRPp and CgAp levels in the plasma of patients with lung carcinoid tumors. They highlighted ProGRPp as the best emerging biomarker to be further evaluated in lung carcinoid tumors. 3 Nisman B. Oleinikov K. Nechushtan H. et al. Plasma progastrin-releasing peptide and chromogranin A assays for diagnosing and monitoring lung well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors: a brief report. J Thorac Oncol. 2023; 18: 369-376 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar By reading the full article, we like to raise some superficial observations and questions and look forward to discussing them with the authors. Plasma Progastrin-Releasing Peptide and Chromogranin A Assays for Diagnosing and Monitoring Lung Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Brief ReportJournal of Thoracic OncologyVol. 18Issue 3PreviewThe use of chromogranin A (CGA) as a circulating biomarker in lung carcinoids (LCs) is limited by low specificity and sensitivity. This study aimed to evaluate plasma progastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRPp) as an alternative to plasma CGA (CGAp), for the diagnosis and follow-up of LC. Full-Text PDF