Korean J Hosp Palliat Care.  2015 Mar;18(1):51-59. 10.14475/kjhpc.2015.18.1.51.

Prognostic Value of Serum Ferritin in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients

• Lee SH
• Choi YS
• Hwang IC
• Yeom CH
• Lee JY

• KMID: 2244626
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14475/kjhpc.2015.18.1.51

Abstract

PURPOSE
Predicting life expectancy of terminally ill cancer patients is very important. In many studies, ferritin is detected at higher levels in the sera of cancer patients, and higher ferritin level correlates with aggressiveness of disease and poor outcomes of patients. This study evaluated a prognostic role of serum ferritin levels in terminally ill cancer patients.
METHODS
This study enrolled 65 terminally ill cancer patients from March through June 2012. We assessed routine laboratory findings including serum ferritin levels as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. To examine the association between serum ferritin levels and patient's characteristics, we used Spearman's correlation analysis, Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriately. For multivariate analysis, Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate significance of serum ferritin levels as a prognostic factor.
RESULTS
A negative correlation between serum ferritin levels and survival time was found. After adjusting for sex, age, performance status, creatinine levels and white blood cell counts, serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with survival time.
CONCLUSION
Even at the very end of life of terminal cancer patients, serum ferritin levels were an independent prognostic factor for survival.

Keyword

Ferritins; Neoplasms; Terminally ill; Survival; Prognosis

MeSH Terms

Creatinine
Ferritins*
Humans
Leukocyte Count
Life Expectancy
Multivariate Analysis
Prognosis
Terminally Ill*
Creatinine
Ferritins