Medknow Publications on behalf of Indian Cancer Society
Abstract
Aim: To study the levels of serum ferritin in patients of renal cell
carcinoma (RCC). Patients and methods: Serum ferritin levels were
measured preoperatively in 32 patients with radiological evidence of
RCC using an enzyme immunoassay. The largest diameter of the primary
tumor was measured in the pathological specimens in patients undergoing
radical nephrectomy while in patients with nonoperable tumor maximum
tumor dimension was taken from CT scan. Pathological staging was done
according TNM-1997. Results: Mean serum ferritin value in patients of
RCC was 283.23 \ub1 77.38 ng/ml while in controls the mean value was
79.98 \ub1 32.96 ng/ml (P < 0.001) which was statistically
significant. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive
value of serum ferritin in RCC observed was 92.6, 73.86, and 81.85%,
respectively. Conclusions: Serum ferritin levels are elevated in
patients with RCC although its actual source is unclear. Further
studies are needed to establish the role of ferritin in RCC