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

Tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, CA15-3, CA125, AFP, P-HCG, SCC were measure d quantitatively in serum, tumor tissue and healthy colonic mucosa of patients with colorectal cancer. We wanted to investigate whether ther e is a difference in concentration between patients with and without r ecurrence of cancer. During the follow-up period 14 of 38 patients sho wed tumor recurrence. Patients with cancer relapse had higher preopera tive serum levels of CEA and CA19-9 and significantly higher concentra tions in their histologically normal colonic mucosa of CEA, CA19-9, SC C and lower ones of CA15-3. The highest values of CEA, CA19-9, and SCC occurred in the mucosa of patients developing local cancer recurrence . Marker concentrations in tumor tissues themselves did not differ bet ween patients with or without tumor relapse. Though this should be con firmed in a larger number of cases we conclude from these results that tumor marker concentrations in healthy colonic mucosa of patients wit h colorectal cancer may become valuable indicators of the risk of tumo r recurrence.