OBJECTIVE: The measurement of tumor-associated antigen as tumor makers in the serum is useful for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and the determination of remission after therapy in cases of malignancy. A tumor-associated antigen is not always present in all the cells forming the tumor and also be detected in other tumors or normal organs. Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) is a single polypeptide chain without carbohydrate. TPA has immunosuppresive properties in patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the cytokeratin tumor marker TPA in early diagnosis of patients with the gynecologic cancer. METHODS: In this study, the levels of TPA were measured in the serum of 61 patients with benign gynecologic tumors, 24 patients with malignant gynecologic neoplasms, and 38 healthy nonpregnant females. Serum TPA level was measured by a "sandwitch technique based" radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: As a result, serum TPA level was 30.4+/-7.6 U/L in control group, 32.6+/-9.4 U/L in benign gynecologic tumor group, 39.1+/-9.8 U/L in malignant gynecologic neoplasm. Serum TPA level was 56.6+/-7.0 U/L in ovarian cancer group. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of TPA was increased in the ovarian cancer group, but it does not seem to be a useful tumor maker for non-ovarian cancer. It would seem that measurement of TPA is useful for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Radioimmunoassay ; Tissue Polypeptide Antigen*

PURPOSE: The main goals of the clinical use of tumor markers are to evaluate the adequacy of the treatment, monitor recurrence and follow up on the response to the treatment applied. The purpose of our study was to compare carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA), the mucin associated tumor antigen CA15-3, and the tissue polypeptide antigen (TPS) in primary breast cancer and gauge the correlation of the prognostic factors. METHODS: In 321 patients with breast cancer, the level of the serum tumor markers, CEA, CA15-3, and TPS, were determined preoperatively and during follow-up. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of tumor markers in patients with breast cancer were: CEA 44.6%, 94%; CA15-3 51.8%, 99%; and TPS 66.07%, 94%. CA15-3 and TPS increased with tumor size, the number of involved lymph nodes and progression of grade. CEA, CA15-3 and TPS were not related to estrogen or progesterone receptor status. Tumor markers in cases of organ or multiple metastasis were higher than in cases of local recurrence. Increasing levels of tumor markers were independent of the site of metastasis, where elevated levels of CA15-3 were primarily related to visceral metastasis. CONCLUSION: The preoperative serum concentration of CA 15-3 and TPS appears to have a significant relation to the outcome in patients with early-stage breast cancer and may have a potential role in the rational selection of high risk patients for whom additional treatment and careful follow-up studies should be undertaken. Postoperative serial measurements of plasma CEA, CA15-3 and TPS are a cost-effective method to detect recurrent breast cancer and the association of these tumor markers may provide tumorprofiles with a predictive value superior to a single parameter.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Plasma ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Recurrence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tissue Polypeptide Antigen

PURPOSE: The main goals of the clinical use of tumor markers are to evaluate the adequacy of the treatment, monitor recurrence and follow up on the response to the treatment applied. The purpose of our study was to compare carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA), the mucin associated tumor antigen CA15-3, and the tissue polypeptide antigen (TPS) in primary breast cancer and gauge the correlation of the prognostic factors. METHODS: In 321 patients with breast cancer, the level of the serum tumor markers, CEA, CA15-3, and TPS, were determined preoperatively and during follow-up. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of tumor markers in patients with breast cancer were: CEA 44.6%, 94%; CA15-3 51.8%, 99%; and TPS 66.07%, 94%. CA15-3 and TPS increased with tumor size, the number of involved lymph nodes and progression of grade. CEA, CA15-3 and TPS were not related to estrogen or progesterone receptor status. Tumor markers in cases of organ or multiple metastasis were higher than in cases of local recurrence. Increasing levels of tumor markers were independent of the site of metastasis, where elevated levels of CA15-3 were primarily related to visceral metastasis. CONCLUSION: The preoperative serum concentration of CA 15-3 and TPS appears to have a significant relation to the outcome in patients with early-stage breast cancer and may have a potential role in the rational selection of high risk patients for whom additional treatment and careful follow-up studies should be undertaken. Postoperative serial mea-surements of plasma CEA, CA15-3 and TPS are a cost- effective method to detect recurrent breast cancer and the association of these tumor markers may provide tumor profiles with a predictive value superior to a single parameter.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Plasma ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Recurrence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tissue Polypeptide Antigen ; Biomarkers, Tumor

PURPOSE: The main goals of the clinical use of tumor markers are to evaluate the adequacy of the treatment, monitor recurrence and follow up on the response to the treatment applied. The purpose of our study was to compare carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA), the mucin associated tumor antigen CA15-3, and the tissue polypeptide antigen (TPS) in primary breast cancer and gauge the correlation of the prognostic factors. METHODS: In 321 patients with breast cancer, the level of the serum tumor markers, CEA, CA15-3, and TPS, were determined preoperatively and during follow-up. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of tumor markers in patients with breast cancer were: CEA 44.6%, 94%; CA15-3 51.8%, 99%; and TPS 66.07%, 94%. CA15-3 and TPS increased with tumor size, the number of involved lymph nodes and progression of grade. CEA, CA15-3 and TPS were not related to estrogen or progesterone receptor status. Tumor markers in cases of organ or multiple metastasis were higher than in cases of local recurrence. Increasing levels of tumor markers were independent of the site of metastasis, where elevated levels of CA15-3 were primarily related to visceral metastasis. CONCLUSION: The preoperative serum concentration of CA 15-3 and TPS appears to have a significant relation to the outcome in patients with early-stage breast cancer and may have a potential role in the rational selection of high risk patients for whom additional treatment and careful follow-up studies should be undertaken. Postoperative serial mea-surements of plasma CEA, CA15-3 and TPS are a cost- effective method to detect recurrent breast cancer and the association of these tumor markers may provide tumor profiles with a predictive value superior to a single parameter.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Plasma ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Recurrence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tissue Polypeptide Antigen ; Biomarkers, Tumor