Study of the diagnostic value of the serum level of the marker SCCA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

The level of a serological marker for squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) was studied in patients with primary, remitting, and relapsing esophageal SCC (ESCC). The levels of SCC antigen (SCCA) increased from Stage I to Stage IV (from 0.8±0.3 to 1.7±0.3 ng/ml, so as the percentage of patients with elevated SCCA (from 20 to 60%, respectively). In remission, the values of SCCA were within the upper normal range in all the patients. The diagnostic sensitivity of SCCA in relapse was similar to that in primary SCC (38/9 and 39.8%, respectively). The proportion of SCCA-positive cases was higher in patients with low- and moderate-grade tumors than in those with high-grade tumors (54.1 and 21.4% of cases, respectively). The mean level of SCCA slightly rose after invasive diagnostic procedures. Hence, this group of patients should undergo serum SCCA tests before and 3-4 days after invasive diagnostic procedures. For the monitoring of the efficiency of treatment and preclinical detection of relapses, it is expedient to use SCCA as a serological marker in 30-40% of all patients with primary ESCC and in approximately 50% of patients with low- and moderate-grade SCC.