S100 beta is a more reliable tumor marker in peripheral flood for patientswith newly occurred melanoma metastases compared with MIA, albumin and lactate-dehydrogenase

Lactate-dehydroxynase (LDH) has been described as a leading blood parameter in patients with melanoma metastases. However; recent data indicates that levels of S100 as well as melanoma inhibiting activity (MIA) in peripheral blood, correlate with melanoma progression. The aim of this study was to ev aluate tumor markers S100, MIA, LDH and albumin in peripheral blood of 373 melanoma patients. 284 patients presented with in-situ or UICC stage I/II, and 89 with stage III/IV (54 tumor-free, 29 with newly occurred metastases) . For newly occurred metastases, sensitivity was highest for S100 in periph eral blood (0.86), followed by MIA (0.80), LDH (048), and albumin (0.15). S pecificity for albumin (0.99) and LDH (0.98) was higher than for S100 (0.91 ) and MIA (062). This data indicate that S100 in peripheral blood as compar ed to MLA, LDH and albumin appears to be the most appropriate tumor marker for newly occurred melanoma metastases.