Article Text

Download PDFPDF
A critical comparison of the value of pregnancy-associated alpha2-glycoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen assays in patients with colorectal cancer.
  1. C B Wood,
  2. C H Horne,
  3. C M Towler,
  4. R W Burt,
  5. J G Ratcliffe,
  6. L H Blumgart

    Abstract

    Absolute serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated alpha2-glycoprotein (alpha2-PAG) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were compared in 54 patients before and after surgery for colorectal cancer. Preoperatively, elevated levels of alpha2-PAG were found in 32 (59%) and of CEA in 35 (65%). Postoperatively, elevated alpha2-PAG levels were found in 10 of 18 patients (56%) without clinical evidence of recurrence whereas elevated CEA levels were present in three (16%). In patients who developed clinical evidence of tumour recurrence, alpha2-PAG levels were elevated in 8 of 13 (62%) while CEA levels were uniformly abnormal. It is concluded that, in this cross-sectional study, measurement of alpha2-PAG concentrations is less reliable than CEA in the detection of tumour recurrence after apparently curative surgery for colorectal cancer.

    Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.