The serum levels of human α− fetoprotein, AFP, choriogonadotropin, hCG, placental lactogen, hPL, and pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein, SP 1, are of no clinical significance in colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

Four biochemical tumor markers were measured by radioimmunoassays in sera of 233 patients with colorectal carcinoma. Pre-operative serum levels of AFP, hCG, hPL and SP 1 were elevated in 1.3, 5.4, 4.8 and 0.7% of the patients respectively. Post-operative serum levels either increased transiently or were elevated permanently. Even when an elevation of one or more of the markers was fairly stable, it rarely provided useful information, since sensitivity of the test, i.e. ratio of true positives to all patients with recurrence, ranged from 0% for AFP to 15% for hCG. The predictive value of an elevated level of any marker for the diagnosis of recurrence was either misleading or equivocal, which makes each of no value for decision strategy for the individual patient. Therefore, determination in serum of any of these markers in patients with colorectal carcinoma does not seem to provide useful information for pre-operative diagnosis, nor for post-operative monitoring aimed at the detection of operable recurrence.