Predictive significance of CYFRA21-1, squamous cell carcinoma antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen for lymph node metastasis in patients with esophageal squamous cancer

From January 2018 to May 2018, 108 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer underwent esophagectomy with two- to three-field lymph node dissection. Serum cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA21-1), squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were detected before surgery. Preoperative serum levels of CYFRA21-1 and squamous cell carcinoma antigen were correlated closely with pN stage (P = 0.000 and P = 0.045). CYFRA21-1 and pathological T status were independent predictors of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.000). The area under the curve values of CYFRA21-1 and squamous cell carcinoma antigen for predicting lymph node metastasis were 0.731 (P =0.000) and 0.650 (P =0.007), respectively. Our study demonstrated that serum CYFRA21-1 and squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels were associated with lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, especially in patients at the early T stage. The preoperative serum CYFRA21-1 level was an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis.