Objective  To investigate the clinical value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)

cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) for the diagnosis of lung cancer.  Methods The levels of above mentioned tumor markers in the BALF and serum samples of 70 patients with pathologically diagnosed lung cancer and 40 patients with benign lung diseases (BLD) were measured by electrochemiluminescence.  Results  The levels of 3 tumor markers in the BALF and serum were significantly higher in cancer patients than those with BLD (P0.01)

and the levels in BALF were significantly higher than those in the serum (P0.05). The sensitivity and accuracy of diagnosing lung cancer were increased when 2 or 3 markers in BALF and serum were detected in combination. The levels of 3 tumor markers in the BALF and the serum were higher in stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ of cancer patients than in stageⅠand stage Ⅱ (TNM stage).  Conclusion In diagnosis of lung cancer CEA

CYFRA21-1

and NSE levels in the BALF have more important clinical significance than those in the serum. Combined determination of these tumor markers can increase the sensitivity and the accuracy

and might be useful to the diagnosis of lung cancer.