Abstract
We hypothesized that serial assessment of TGF-β1 during chemotherapy might predict therapeutic response and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Plasma TGF-β1 levels were quantified before first, second, and third cycles of chemotherapy in 42 advanced NSCLC patients and correlated with therapeutic response. Plasma TGF-β1 levels measured before first and second cycles of chemotherapy failed to predict response to therapy. The increased presence of TGF-β1 measured before second and third cycles of chemotherapy was associated with poor survival. Estimation of plasma TGF-β1 during the course of chemotherapy might not be a reliable biomarker for predicting therapeutic efficacy in NSCLC.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Sachin Kumar acknowledges Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India (New Delhi), for providing assistance in terms of Senior Research Fellowship.