[Clinical value of carbohydrate antigen 50 and carbohydrate antigen 242 in the diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
Carbohydrate antigen 50 (CA50) and 242 (CA242), recently recognized as serum tumor markers, are studied for their value in the diagnosis of the colorectal carcinoma.


METHODS
This study included 48 patients with benign bowel disease and 71 patients with colorectal carcinoma, whose serum CA50 and CA242 levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay.


RESULTS
The total positivity of CA50 and CA242 in colorectal carcinoma cases were 69.0% and 73.2% respectively, and were only 6.3% and 8.3% in benign cases. In non-metastatic colorectal carcinoma cases, the positivity rates for CA50 and CA242 were 52.8% and 44.4% respectively, which were 82.8% and 88.6% in cases with metastasis. Marked elevation in CA242 level was noted in the patients with colon carcinoma (77.5%). But at early stage of the malignancy, both tumor markers had low sensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
CA50 and CA242 are valuable tumor markers in the diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma.
Huang
Cong-Wu
CW
Institute for Digestive Diseases of PLA, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Bai
Lan
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C074601:CA 242 antigen; C082699:CA-50 antigen