Beta-2-microglobulin (beta M-2) as a tumor marker in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical value of serum beta-2- microglobulin (beta M-2) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). b eta M-2 levels were assayed in 145 Taiwanese patients with untreated NPC, i ncluding 100 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 45 undifferentiated carcino mas. The 145 NPC patients were separated into different subgroups based on the international Union Against Cancel (UICC) TNM classification system. In addition, 50 healthy subjects without any evidence of malignancy or other systemic diseases were included as controls. The results showed that (1) th e mean serum, beta M-2 level of the 145 NPC patients was higher than that o f the 50 healthy controls and (2) the mean serum beta M-2 levels of NPC pat ients who were male, older, with SCC, with higher TNM stages, and with a sh orter survival time were higher than those patients who were female, younge r; with undifferentiated carcinomas, with lower TNM stages, and with a long er survival time. However, none of the differences were significant. In add ition, the overall detecting sensitivity of beta M-2 for NPC was only 24.1% , and the detecting sensitivities in NPC patients who were male, older, wit h SCC, with higher TNM stages, and with a shorter survival time were higher than those of patients who were female, younger, with undifferentiated car cinomas, with lower TNM stages, and with a longer survival time. However, t hese differences also were not significant. In conclusion, our results sugg est the beta M-2 may have limited clinical potential as a valuable tumor ma rker for NPC.