Clinical value of pretreatment serum cyfra 21-1 and SCC Ag levels in cervical cancer patients

Oh, Kie Suk; Chung, Tai Young; Chung, Do Young; Ryu, Hee Sug; Chang, Ki Hong; Chun, Mi Son; Park, Chan Hee; Park, Young Han

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
SCC Ag(Squamous cell carcinoma antigen) is so far the most useful tumor marker in assisting clinical diagnosis of cervical cancer and follow-up after therapy. Elevated levels of cytokeratin 19-fragments(CYFRA 21-1) have recently been detected in large proportion of patients with non small cell cancer of the lung, and in particular those with squamous cell carcinoma. This study is to assess the clinical efficacy of CYFRA 21-1 with SCC Ag as the clinicopathologic parameter in cervical cancer. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of the serum tumor markers CYFRA 21-1 & SCC Ag in eighty cervical cancer patients was performed.
RESULTS
Cut off values for SCC Ag & CYFRA 21-1 were 1.94 ng/ml, 3.11 ng/ml respectively. Using the cut-off point, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value(PPV), and negative predictive value(NPV) of serum SCC were 55, 95, 97, 46%, respectively. Serum CYFRA 21-1 showed a sensitivity of 45%, specificity of 91%, PPV of 87%, and NPV of 55%. The combination of SCC and CYFRA 21-1 increased the sensitivity to 62%, with a specificity, PPV, and NPV of 72, 75, 58%. Serum levels of both markers were compared with tumor stage, lesion size and were significantly related. In FIGO stage Ib-IIa, the serum levels of SCC Ag & CYFRA were 2.2+/-3.9, 2.5+/-3.6 ng/ml and in FIGO stage IIb-IV, 12.2+/-15.2, 10.8+/-11.2 ng/ml. In < or =4cm of lesion size the serum levels of SCC Ag & CYFRA were 3.3+/-9.0, 4.5+/-7.6 ng/ml and in >4cm of lesion size, 11.8+/-11.9, 7.7+/-9.3 ng/ml.
CONCLUSION
These data seems to show that serum CYFRA 21-1 may be of additional value in assessing the state of disease in some patients with cervical cancer. The prediction of recurrent cervical cancer with SCC Ag were improved by the combination with CYFRA 21-1 but further investigation is needed.