Strong association between hyperferritinaemia and metastatic disease in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

We have investigated the role of serum ferritin, in relation to disease stages, in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Patients with localised disease (Ho's stage I–IV) had levels which were not significantly different from age, sex matched normal subjects and there was no relationship between mean serum ferritin levels and stage. However, in patients with metastatic disease levels were grossly elevated with mean levels increased more than 6-fold compared to normal subjects and patients with localised disease. Furthermore, among the small group of patients with localised disease but hyperferritinaemia, the subsequent development of metastatic disease within 1 year was significantly much higher (32.4%) than in those with levels falling within the reference range (10.3%). Hyperferritinaemia is strongly associated with, and may predict, metastatic disease in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.