title: Squamous cell carcinoma antigen in the diagnosis and treatment follow-up of oral and facial squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen was determined by radioimmunoassay in the serum of 40 untreated patients with SCC of the oromaxillofacial region. The mean (+/- SEM) serum concentration for these patients (3.8 +/- 0.8 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that of 52 disease-free patients coming to routine postoperative care (1.2 +/- 0.1 ng/ml) and of 74 healthy controls (1.1 +/- 0.07 ng/ml). Using a arbitrary limit of 2.2 ng/ml, pathologic serum levels of SCC were observed in 15 (38%) of 40 untreated patients, whereas only four (7.7%) of 52 tumor-free patients revealed an elevated serum SCC. Serial measurements of SCC were pretherapeutically available in 28 patients as well as during individual therapy and further follow-up. All but one of these patients had a normal serum SCC postoperatively. The authors' results demonstrate that the clinical value of SCC lies mainly in monitoring the course of the disease. Careful follow-up studies should be undertaken to determine whether serial determination of SCC is promising in early prediction of tumor reoccurrence.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Poliklinik, University of Würzburg, FRG.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fischbach
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barthel
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D015843:Serpins
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen