A Study of SCC Antigen and EGFr in Tissues of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Lung

Lee, Chang Min; Cho, Sung Rae

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate a usefulness of serum SCC antigen in diagnosis or evaluation of therapeutic effect of lung cancer by investigation of the differences of SCC antigen concentration in lung mass according to TNM staging, and mass size of lung cancer. And the other aim was to know whether SCC antigen plays a role in infiltrative growth of lung cancer or not, comparing with concentration of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in tissue which is related with growth and differentiation of tumor cell. The results of this study were as follows. The concentration of SCC antigen in squamous cell carcinoma of lung (69+/-25ng/ml) was higher than in unaffected lung tissue (34+/-7ng /ml). (p<0.05). The concentration of SCC antigen was higher in squamous cell carcinoma (69+/-25ng/ml) than in adenocarcinoma (35+/-25ng/ml) (p<0.05), but the concentration of EGFr showed no any significant difference in both histological types. In small sized mass (<3cm in diameter) the concentration of SCC antigen in central portion of tumor was higher than that of peripheral portion, whereas in large sized mass (> or =5cm in diameter), the concentration of SCC antigen in peripheral portion of tumor was higher than that of central portion. (p<0.05). The concentration of EGFr according to tumor size was not significantly different in central and peripheral portion of tumor. The concentration of SCC antigen according to TNM staging of lung cancer was that from central portion was higher in stage I, II, but that from peripheral portion was higher in stage III, IV (p<0.05). The concentration of EGFr from central portion was higher in higher TNM stage (not significant) but that from peripheral portion shows no significant changes. In conclusion, the concentration of SCC antigen in tissue was higher in squamous cell carcinoma than in unaffected lung tissue or adenocarcinoma, and the concentration of SCC antigen increased according to tumor size or TNM staging like in serum level. so, serum SCC antigen is a useful tumor marker to diagnose or evaluate therapeutic effect of squamous cell carcinoma of lung. But further studies are necessary to confirm the relation of infiltrative growth in lung cancer and concentration of SCC antigen because there was a different pattern of regional tissue concentration of SCC antigen and EGFr.