The serum level of tumor-antigen 4 (TA-4) was measured in 401 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of various organs (76 lung, 82 esophagus, and 234 head and neck). The mean serum level of TA-4 in patients with lung SCC was 3.6 times higher than that in healthy controls and even higher in the advanced stages of disease (111, IV). In patients with benign diseases or other types of lung cancer, however, the TA-4 serum level was not different from the controls regardless of the clinical stage. During radiation therapy, the TA-4 levels in patients with lung SCC decreased with reduction in tumor size. It increased again markedly during recurrence. Similarly, patients with SCC of the esophagus and head and neck also showed elevated TA-4 levels but only at advanced stages and in recurrence. It was concluded that TA-4 is highly related to SCC not only of the uterine cervix but also of other organs and that serum level determinations are useful for monitoring therapeutic effects and recurrence of these diseases, despite some limitations.
Cancer 62:730-734, 1988.
UMOR-ANTIGEN 4 (TA-4) is a protein fraction with T a molecular weight of approximately 48,000 daltons, which was extracted and purified from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissue of the uterine cervix.' Since the method for radioimmunoassay of TA-4 was also developed, its serum level has been measured extensively in patients with gynecologic diseases. It is well known that the serum level rises in patients with cervical SCC and varies with their clinical course. Thus, TA-4 is considered a useful tumor marker in cervical SCC, especially in evaluating therapeutic effects and monitoring recurrence.2-6 There is a report that the TA-4 serum level is also high in patients with SCC of the vulva.6 Therefore, the TA-4 serum level may also increase in patients with SCC of other organs. We measured the serum level in patients with lung SCC before therapy to clarify whether TA-4 is also related to SCC of the lung. Furthermore, we followed the TA-4 level serially in patients with lung SCC both during and after therapy to determine whether TA-4 is a useful marker in evaluating therapeutic effects and in monitoring recurrence. Similarly, we measured From the Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Ehime
The authors thank Ms. Mariko Ata for technical assistance.