R. Molina et al., PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF TPS IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK MALIGNANCIES -COMPARISON WITH SCC, Anticancer research, 15(2), 1995, pp. 479-484
TPS and SCC serum levels were evaluated in 113 patients with primary t
umors, 19 with relapse and 59 with no evidence of disease after radica
l treatment. Abnormal serum levels were found in 37% and 33% of patien
ts with primary untreated tumors and in 53% and 59% of patients with r
elapse, respectively, using 100 U/L and 2.5 ng/ml as the upper limit o
f normality for TPS and SCC, respectively. Either tumor marker was abn
ormal in 57.5% of primary tumors and in 74% of patients with relapse.
TPS and SCC serum levels were related to nodal involvement, with signi
ficantly higher levels in patients with nodal invasion (p<0.02 and p<0
.001, respectively). No relationship was found between tumor size, age
or histological grade and SCC or TPS values. Pretreatment TPS and SCC
serum levels had prognostic interest in patients with locoregional tu
mors, with a significantly shorter disease - free interval (DFI) in pa
tients with abnormal values (p<0.01 and p<0.02, respectively). When tu
mor marker levels and nodes were simultaneously evaluated, a trend tow
ard shorter DFI in patients with abnormal serum concentrations was fou
nd, with no statistical significance. By contrast, TPS and SCC were us
eful in prognosis in node-negative patients (p<0.02 and p<0.001, respe
ctively). Likewise, using both TAAs simultaneously, it is possible to
increase prognostic information. Patients with TPS and/or SCC abnormal
levels had a significant-positive and negative patients (p<0.01). In
summary, TPS, the TAA utility in this malignancy increases in the prog
nosis as well as disease follow-up.