PurposeTo investigate the expression of heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α) in patients with lung cancer and the clinical value of HSP90α and other related markers in the diagnosis of lung cancer.MethodsThe plasma levels of HSP90α and related markers (CEA, NSE, CF211 and ProGRP) were detected in the blood of 560 patients with lung cancer by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Groups were divided according to the gender (male/female), age (age≤40, 41<age≤50, 51<age≤60, 61<age≤70 and age>70), types of lung cancer (small-cell, squamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, hybrid and other type), staging (Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ) and metastasis (metastasis and non-metastasis) separately. Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare statistical differences between two groups/among the multiple groups for each factor of HSP90α.ResultsNo statistical difference was found in plasma level of HSP90α among different age and gender groups (P> 0.05). In the group divided by lung cancer type, staging and metastasis status, there were statistical differences among different groups in HSP90α level (P< 0.05). R values of HSP90α correlated with other related markers in the diagnosis of lung cancer (P< 0.05). Although HSP90α and other related markers didn’t fit the satisfactory conformance, in terms of the positive rate of diagnosis, it was statistically differences in the diagnostic positive rate between HSP90α and each marker (P< 0.01). Reduced cut-off value of HSP90α in lung cancer can effectively improve the positive rate of diagnosis when combined with other tumor biomarkers.ConclusionsHSP90α has significant clinical value on early screening and diagnosis of lung cancer. The combined application of HSP90α and related markers can improve the positive rate of early diagnosis of lung cancer effectively.