title: Prognostic value of serum and tumor tissue CA 72-4 content in gastric cancer.
abstract: To date no general agreement has been reached regarding the prognostic significance of CEA, CA 19-9 and CA 72-4 as serum markers in gastric cancer, and only scattered information is available on the predictive value of marker expression in tumor tissue. Therefore, a longitudinal study was designed to analyze the presurgical serum and tumor tissue content of CA 72-4, CEA and CA 19-9 in 166 patients at different stages of gastric cancer, and to evaluate the possible correlation with clinicopathological features in respect to prognostic information on relapse-free survival. The results obtained showed that 48.4% of patients with tumor recurrence had positive presurgical CA 72-4 levels compared to approximately 24% of patients who remained free of disease. Furthermore, the median presurgical serum CA 72-4 levels were significantly elevated in relapsing patients. Serosa and lymph node involvement as well as positive presurgical serum CA 72-4 levels had independent prognostic value in predicting recurrence. A significant association between disease-free survival and lymph node involvement, depth of invasion and tumor tissue content of CA 72-4 was also demonstrated. We may therefore conclude that CA 72-4 antigen can be considered the marker of choice in the follow-up of gastric cancer patients and may be used as a prognostic indicator of relapse.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aloe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spila
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferroni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basili
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmirotta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosimelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roselli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guadagni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C083825:CA-72-4 antigen