Abstract
Examining the possible usage in diagnosis of malignancies, we measured 7 tumor markers (Carcinoembryonic antigen: CEA, α-fetoprotein: AFP, Tissue polypeptide antigen: TPA, Immunosuppressive acidic protein: IAP, Carbohydrate antigen 19-9: CA19-9, Ferritin: FER, β2-microglobulin: BMG) in the serum of 357 patients and evaluated these markers singularly and by the combination assay. Several clinical entities were obtained from the following: 146 cases of stomach carcinoma (Ca) ., 97 cases cob-rectal Ca., 6 cases of pancreatic Ca., 10 cases of biliary Ca., 10 cases of hepato-cellular Ca., 43 cases of breast Ca., 14 cases of esophageal Ca., 20 cases of lung Ca., 6 cases of thyroid gland Ca., 25 cases of benign diagestive diseases and 36 cases of hepato-biliary of pancreatic diseases in the Department of Surgery of Showa University Hospital. For the evaluation of the utility of the combination assay, sensitivity and specificity were calculated on each disease, and also the positive index ratio (PI: the balance of sensitivity and false-positive) and the diagnostic effective index ratio (DI: the division of PI and specificity) were examined. The combination assay of CEA, CA19-9 and BMG for stomach Ca., CEA and IAP for cob-rectal Ca., CEA, IAP and BMG for esophageal Ca., CA19-9 and FER for biliary Ca., CEA and TPA for pancreatic Ca., CEA and TAP for lung Ca. were assumed to be useful. There are no utilities for thyroid Ca. and breast Ca. Hepato-cellular Ca. was enough by AFP only. For all malignancies, the combination assay of CEA, TPA and BMG appeared to be useful. For early stage Ca., the combination assay was useless, but CEA and IAP suggested a few possibilities.
