Procalcitonin Test for Differentiation of the Cause of Pneumonia

Usefulness of Procalcitonin Test to Differentiate the Cause of Pneumonia in Patients With Cancers

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT03350802

Enrollment

649

Registered

2017-11-22

Start date

2014-01-01

Completion date

2020-06-30

Last updated

2020-09-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cancer, Pneumonia, Procalcitonin

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of procalcitonin test for differentiation of the cause of pneumonia in patients with cancer.

Detailed description

Serum procalcitonin test is currently used as the biomarker for bacterial infection. Especially, procalcitonin test has been reported to be helpful in differentiating bacterial pneumonia from viral pneumonia, acute exacerbations of interstitial pneumonitis or chronic obstructive lung disease. However, it is not known whether procalcitonin test can help distinguish bacterial pneumonia from non-bacterial pneumonia such as radiation pneumonitis or chemotherapy-induced pneumonitis in patients with cancer. The aim of this prospective cohort study is to observe the clinical benefits of procalcitonin test for differentiation of the cause of pneumonia in patients with cancer.

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTprocalcitonin test

All patients enrolled in this cohort undergo procalcitonin test in addition to basic microbiological test.

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Age greater than 18 years * Patients who have symptoms and suspected imaging findings compatible with pneumonia

Exclusion criteria

* Patients who have been treated with antibiotics or steroid therapy.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Procalcitonin level according to the cause of pneumonia in patients with cancer	procalcitonin level is checked within 24hours after visiting hospital	bacterial pneumonia vs. radiation pneumonitis vs chemotherapy-induced pneumonitis

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Influence of neutropenia on procalcitonin level in patients with baterial pneumonia	procalcitonin level is checked within 24hours after visiting hospital	bacterial pneumonia with neutropenia vs. without neutropenia
procalcitonin level in patients with atypical pneumonia	procalcitonin level is checked within 24hours after visiting hospital	viral pneumonia vs tuberculosis vs fungal infection

Countries

South Korea

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026