Serum S-100 protein: a potentially useful prognostic marker in cutaneous melanoma

Abstract

S-100, an acidic calcium-binding protein, is present within cells of neuroendocrine origin. Its value in the immunohistochemical diagnosis of tumours of melanocytic origin is well established. More recently, a potential role has been proposed for the serum concentration of this protein as a marker of metastatic melanoma disease activity. In the present study, the concentration of serum S-100 protein was measured in 97 patients with histologically proven malignant melanoma who were attending a dermatology and/or oncology department for the follow-up of their disease. Serum S-100 was also measured in 48 control subjects without malignant melanoma. The clinical stage of the patients was classified according to the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer into stages I-IV. The median (range) serum S-100 protein concentration was significantly higher in stage I (0.11 (0.1-0.21) microgram/L, P < 0.001), stage II (0.11 (0.05-0.22) microgram/L, P < 0.001), stage III (0.24 (0.07-0.41) microgram/L, P < 0.0001) and stage IV (0.39 (0.06-15.0) microgram/L, P < 0.0001) compared with the control group (0.1 (0.05-0.15) microgram/L). At a threshold value of 0.2 microgram/L, the sensitivity and specificity for detection of advanced disease were 82% and 91%, respectively. Thus serum S-100 protein may be a valuable prognostic marker for malignant melanoma and for monitoring therapy. Serum S-100 protein concentration was also compared with the Breslow thickness of the tumours. There was a significant correlation between these variables (n = 72, rs = 0.32, P < 0.01). Combining a serum S-100 threshold value of > 0.22 microgram/L and a Breslow thickness of > 4 mm improved the sensitivity and specificity for the presence of secondary spread to 91% and 95%, respectively. Therefore, a combination of both baseline serum S-100 protein and Breslow thickness may provide a better indication of the prognosis at diagnosis.

Chemotherapy response assessment in stage IV melanoma patients—comparison of 18F-FDG-PET/CT, CT, brain MRI, and tumormarker S-100B

“…Therefore methods to assess the early success or failure of chemotherapy are important to both the patient and the health care system. 18 F-FDG-PET/CT is increasingly used for initial staging of patients with high-risk melanoma. 18 F-FDG-PET/CT with its unique combination of metabolic and morphologic information, has a high accuracy for metastases in these patients and is superior to PET alone, CT alone or conventional imaging methods in the M-staging situation (5-7).…”

“…18 F-FDG-PET/CT is increasingly used for initial staging of patients with high-risk melanoma. 18 F-FDG-PET/CT with its unique combination of metabolic and morphologic information, has a high accuracy for metastases in these patients and is superior to PET alone, CT alone or conventional imaging methods in the M-staging situation (5-7). Preliminary studies showed that PET imaging may help to select the patients for surgery and has influence on the survival (8).…”

“…Preliminary studies showed that PET imaging may help to select the patients for surgery and has influence on the survival (8). 18 F-FDG-PET and -PET/CT is increasingly used for neoadjuvant, adjuvant, curative or palliative chemotherapy response assessment in different malignant tumors such as lymphoma (9-11), oesophageal cancer (12,13), lung cancer (14) and breast cancer (15), but publications regarding PET or PET/CT for therapy response assessment in melanoma patients are still very limited (16,17). Serum S-100B is a useful tumormarker in melanoma patients, indicating the presence of distant metastases and reflecting the tumor burden.…”

“…Serum S-100B is a useful tumormarker in melanoma patients, indicating the presence of distant metastases and reflecting the tumor burden. In addition, S-100B has prognostic implications (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

“…The aim of this study was to compare the value of 18 We received approval from our institutional review board to undertake this retrospective study.…”