Serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen as tumor markers of vulvar cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are useful as tumor markers of vulvar cancer.


METHODS
The serum levels of SCC antigen and CEA were determined for 30 patients with invasive vulvar carcinoma.


RESULTS
There was a significant difference not only between tumor sizes of 2 cm or larger and those of less than 2 cm (p < 0.001), but also between patients with lymph node metastasis and patients free from it (p < 0.001). Tumor marker levels well reflected the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The sensitivity to recurrence was 63%, and the specificity was 94%. In 2 of 8 recurrent cases, it was only the re-increase in tumor markers that indicated the recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
The measurement of serum levels of SCC antigen and CEA is useful not only for preoperative evaluation of the risk of lymph node metastasis, but also for the detection of recurrence.
Yamawaki
T
T
Department of Gynecology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Takeshima
N
N
Shimizu
Y
Y
Teshima
H
H
Hasumi
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000276:immunology; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000276:immunology; D015843:Serpins; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen