Certain Tumor Markers Also Tied to Heart Failure Outcomes

FRIDAY, June 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Tumor biomarkers are independently associated with measures of heart failure severity and outcomes, according to a study published online May 5 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Canxia Shi, from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues analyzed data from 2,079 patients participating in the BIOSTAT-CHF cohort, with measurements of six established tumor biomarkers: CA125, CA15-3, CA19-9, CEA, CYFRA 21-1, and AFP.

The researchers found that during a median 21 months of follow-up, 27 percent of patients reached the primary end point of all-cause mortality. There was a positive association between CA125, CYFRA 21-1, CEA, and CA19-9 levels with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) quartiles. After adjusting for BIOSTAT risk model (age, blood urea nitrogen, NT-proBNP, hemoglobin, and beta blocker), CA125, CYFRA 21-1, CEA, and CA19-9 levels were associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratios, 1.17, 1.45, 1.19, and 1.10, respectively). Except for AFP, all tumor biomarkers were significantly associated with secondary end points, including a composite of all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalization, heart failure hospitalization, cardiovascular (CV) mortality, and non-CV mortality. CYFRA 21-1 (0.64) had a noninferior area under the curve (AUC) versus NT-proBNP (0.68) for all-cause mortality. The model’s ability to predict all-cause mortality was improved with a combination of CYFRA 21-1 and NT-proBNP (AUC, 0.71) versus NT-proBNP alone.

“This demonstrates that pathophysiological pathways sensed by these tumor biomarkers are also dysregulated in heart failure,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text