title: Specificity of tumor markers (CEA, GICA, TPA, alpha-FP, FpA, gamma-GT) for the diagnosis of hepatic metastases from large bowel cancers.
abstract: In 98 patients affected by colorectal cancer (43 patients with colon cancer, 55 patients with rectosigmoid cancer) the specificity of some tumor markers (CEA, GICA, TPA, alpha-FP, FpA, gamma-GT) has been tested in evidencing the coexistence of liver metastases and the site of the primary tumor, i.e. the rectosigmoid region (rectum + 15 cm of the adjacent sigmoid colon) vs the rest of the colon. Liver metastases, present in 19 patients with colon cancer and in 24 with recto-sigmoid cancer, were previously ascertained by various instrumental investigations. Unlike previous studies which indicated CEA or alpha-FP as the most reliable markers to suggest the coexistence of liver metastases in such patients, the reported results allow the following sequence, in decreasing order of sensitivity, to be proposed: gamma-GT; FpA; CEA and GICA to a similar degree; TPA, which increases only when liver metastases from colon cancer are present; lastly, alpha-FP, which rises only in very few cases of massive hepatic involvement.
authors: Istituto di Patologia Medica, Università di Ferrara, Italy.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Abbasciano
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Levato
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Zavagli
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D010455:Peptides; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase