Serum concentrations of tissue polypeptide antigen in patients with vulvarintraepithelial neoplasia and vulvar cancer

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the cytokeratin tumor marker tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) in patients with vulvar cancer. This retrospective study comprises 41 patients with vulvar cancer FIGO stages I-III, 17 patients with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) III, and 40 healthy female controls. Serum concentrations of TPA wer e measured using a microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Results were correlate d to clinical data. Median serum concentrations of TPA in healthy female co ntrols, patients with VIN ill, and patients with vulvar cancer were 42 U/I (range 12-192), 53 U/I (range 17-127.9) and 57 U/I (range 4.2-423), respect ively (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.8). Serum concentrations of TPA were not associated with stage of disease, histological grade, and age at the time o f diagnosis. In vulvar cancer patients, elevated serum concentrations of TP A prior to therapy were not associated with a shortened disease-free or ove rall survival (log-rank test: p = 0.5 and p = 0.9, respectively). In a mult ivariate Cox regression model comprising tumor stage and TPA, tumor stage, but not TPA revealed a statistically significant influence on disease-free (Cox proportional hazard regression model, p = 0.05 and p = 0.6, respective ly) and overall (Cox proportional hazard regression model, p = 0.04 and p = 0.8, respectively) survival of patients with vulvar cancer. We conclude th at cytokeratin expression, as reflected by serum concentrations of TPA, doe s not play a role in the natural history of vulvar cancer. The evaluation o f serum concentrations of TPA prior to therapy is not recommended. Copyrigh t (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.