Using Serum S100B and PET-CT to Monitor Melanoma Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Peric Barbara, Zagar Ivana, Novakovic Srdjan, Zgajnar Janez, Hocevar Marko
Primary Institution: Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Hypothesis
Are regular measurements of serum S100B and PET-CT useful for detecting metastases in patients with cutaneous melanoma?
Conclusion
Regular measurements of serum S100B are helpful for detecting disease progression in asymptomatic melanoma patients, especially when followed by PET-CT scans.
Supporting Evidence
- Disease progression was confirmed in 81.7% of patients.
- S100B had a sensitivity of 33.8% and specificity of 90.9% for symptomatic patients.
- PET-CT diagnosed disease progression in 84.2% of symptomatic patients.
Takeaway
Doctors can check a blood marker called S100B to see if melanoma is getting worse, and if it is high, they can use a special scan to look for cancer spread.
Methodology
The study involved 115 melanoma patients who underwent PET-CT based on elevated S100B levels or clinical signs of disease progression.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the selection of patients based on clinical signs or elevated S100B levels.
Limitations
The study was influenced by selection bias as patients were chosen based on increased S100B or clinical suspicion of disease progression.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 45 female and 70 male patients, with a mean age of 60.8 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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