Role of the squamous cell antigen (SCC-Ag) in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer of uterine cervix

Abstract

The use of a substance that marks the presence of a disease and allows the early diagnosis and treatment of its recurrence is a constant object of study. The squamous cell antigen (SCC-Ag) is a useful marker in epidermoid tumors. In this study we have included 129 healthy patients divided into three groups (healthy control group, CIN III group, invasive cancer group) in whom the marker has been serially determined. With a cut-off level in our series of 1.5 ng/ml, only 7.4% of the patients with CIN III showed high levels, compared to 51% of those with invasive tumors (p<0.001). In this last subgoup the levels of SCC-Ag were significantly correlated with the status (p<0.001) and with tumoral volume (p<0.01). After the treatment we observed a total normalization of the cases which underwent surgery, compared to 67% of the ones referred to radical radiotherapy. In five cases relapse occurred, all of them showing abnormal marker values.