TUMOR-MARKER CONCENTRATIONS IN NORMAL AND MALIGNANT-TISSUES OF COLORECTAL-CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR PROGNOSTIC RELEVANCE

Tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, CA15-3, CA125, RFP, P-HCG, SCC were measure d quantitatively in the serum, tumor tissue and healthy colonic mucosa of patients with colorectal cancer. We wanted to investigated whether there is a difference in concentration between patients with and with out recurrence of cancer. During the follow-up period 14 of 38 patient s showed tumor recurrence. The patients with cancer relapse had higher preoperative serum levels of CEA and CA19-9 and in the histologically normal colonic mucosa they had higher concentrations of CEA, CA19-9, SCC and low CA15-3. The highest values of CEA, CA19-9, and SCC occurre d in the mucosa of patients developing local cancer recurrence. Marker concentrations in tumor tissues themselves did nor differ between pat ients with or without tumor relapse. Though confirmation in a larger n umber of cases lj needed we conclude from these results that tumor mar ker concentrations in the healthy colonic mucosa of patients with colo rectal cancer may become valuable indicators of the risk of tumor recu rrence.