Clinical Value of Routine Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Follow-Up of Patients With Early-Stage Cervical Cancer
To investigate the contribution to recurrence detection and survival of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-ag) analysis in the follow-up of early-stage cervical cancer patients. Follow-up data were evaluated in patients with early-stage squamous cell cervical cancer treated by radical hyster...
Saved in:
Published in | Journal of clinical oncology Vol. 19; no. 19; pp. 3960 - 3966 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Baltimore, MD
American Society of Clinical Oncology
01.10.2001
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | To investigate the contribution to recurrence detection and survival of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-ag) analysis in the follow-up of early-stage cervical cancer patients.
Follow-up data were evaluated in patients with early-stage squamous cell cervical cancer treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without radiotherapy. Routine serum SCC-ag determination was performed at each follow-up visit.
Recurrent disease occurred in 35 (16%) of 225 patients and was preceded or accompanied by serum SCC-ag elevation 26 times (sensitivity, 74%). In five (14%) of these 35 patients, elevated serum SCC-ag was the first measured clinical indicator. Desite salvage therapy, all five patients died of disease. In the other 31 patients (21 with serum SCC-ag elevation), either symptoms and/or positive signs led to recurrence detection. Median survival time after recurrence was worse (9 months; range, 2 to 112+) for patients with an elevated serum SCC-ag value at recurrence in comparison with patients with normal serum SCC-ag values (20 months; range, 4 to 96; P <.01). In 23 of the 190 patients without recurrences, serum SCC-ag values became falsely elevated. In 16 of these 23 patients, the repeat sample after 6 weeks showed a normal SCC-ag, and in seven patients benign (especially skin) disorders were found.
Serum SCC-ag analysis results in earlier recurrence detection in a small proportion (14%) of patients but did not contribute to better survival. As long as treatment possibilities for recurrent cervical cancer patients are not improved, serum SCC-ag analysis should not be carried out in routine follow-up. |
---|---|
Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0732-183X 1527-7755 |
DOI: | 10.1200/JCO.2001.19.19.3960 |