title: Follow-up of patients with gastrointestinal cancer by tumor marker determination.
abstract: In addition to clinical examination and various diagnostic procedures, patients with gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) were also monitored by tumor marker (TM) determination. In total, 202 patients with GIC were postoperatively followed-up. According to in vivo diagnostic procedures, there were 133 (66%) patients without metastases, 63 (31%) patients with distant metastases, 48 (76%) of them with liver metastases, and six (3%) patients with local recurrences. During the 1990-1995 period, they were followed-up by serum TM concentration measurements on 1-8 occasions. At the time of initial diagnosis, TM were determined in a varying percent of the patients: CA 19-9 (100%), TPA (54%), CA 72-4 (49%), IAP (41%), CEA (41%) and AFP (25%). In the group of patients without metastases, the percentage of normal TM values ranged between 73%-100%, and TM sensitivity between 0%-86%. No ideal TM has as yet been discovered either for any malignant disease or for patients with GIC. Therefore, in the follow-up of patients with GIC we suggest the concentrations of at least two instead of only one TM (CA 19-9 and TPA or CEA) to be determined. It is also difficult to choose the best TM among numerous TM kits available on the market and to keep using it during a longitudinal follow-up study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lukinac
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bolanca
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nöthig-Hus
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kusić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor