Abstract
Objective. To determine whether SCC-Ag serum levels can be used as a prognostic parameter in surgically treated early stage vulvar cancer. Methods. SCC-Ag serum levels were measured preoperatively in 61 surgically staged patients with squamous cell vulvar cancer (UICC pT1 and pT2). Results were correlated to clinical data. Results. Mean (standard deviation) SCC-Ag serum levels in patients with vulvar cancer were 1.5 (1.99) ng/mL. SCC-Ag serum levels were significantly higher in patients with pT2 vulvar cancer (2.2 [2.6] ng/mL) compared with patients with pT1 vulvar cancer (1.0 [1.2] ng/mL, P = 0.034). SCC-Ag serum levels were not associated with lymph node involvement ( P = 0.1), tumor grade ( P = 0.6), and patients' age ( P = 0.5). Multivariate Cox regression models considering tumor stage, lymph node involvement, patients' age, and SCC-Ag serum levels as covariates showed that lymph node involvement ( P = 0.04 and P = 0.01) and tumor stage ( P = 0.006 and P = 0.009), but not SCC-Ag serum levels ( P = 0.8 and P = 0.6), and patients' age ( P = 0.08 and P = 0.22) are prognostic factors for disease-free and overall survival, respectively. Conclusion. SCC-Ag serum levels cannot be used as an additional prognostic parameter in patients with surgically treated early stage vulvar cancer.
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