Squamous cell carcinoma antigen in carcinomas of the oral cavity and pharynx

Abstract

Proposal: In this prospective study we analyzed the role of the Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in the detection of residual disease and relapse in patients suffering from carcinoma of the oral cavity and pharynx. Patients and Methods: 36 consecutive patients and a control group of 60 healthy donors were included in this prospective study. Results: For a "cut-off" value of 1.5 ngr/m 26 patients (72.2%) showed elevated values of the marker (mean 2.05+-1.28 ngr/ml). On the contrary, SCC-Ag postreatment values were an excellent marker of residual disease after surgery or radiotherapy, correlating with survival free of progression (p lt 0.004) and absolute survival (p lt 0.007). Conclusions: SCC-Ag is a useful marker in oral and pharyngeal carcinoma, as is related to the presence of disease, both clinical or subclinical. Its predictive effect on progression and survival could modify treatment protocol in any individual patient.