Serum determinations of tumor markers are indispensable in the diagnosis and management of cancer, and therefore play an important role in clinical practice. After a short historical survey, we systematically review a number of contemporary aspects of serum tumor markers related to various organ systems, and briefly indicate possible future developments.
MagdelénatH.Tumour markers in oncology: past, present and future.J Immunol Methods1992; 150: 133–43.
2.
Bence-JonesH.Papers on clinical pathology. Lecture III.Lancet1847; 2: 269.
3.
AscheimS., ZondekB.Das Hormon des Hypophysen-vorderlappens: Testobjeckt zum Nachweis des Hormons.Klin Wochenschr1927; 6: 248–52.
4.
BrownW.H.A case of pluriglandular syndrome: “Diabetes of bearded women.”Lancet1928; 215: 1022–3.
5.
CushingH.The basophil adenomas of the pituitary body and their clinical manifestations (pituitary basophilism).Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp1932; 50: 137.
6.
GutmanA.B., GutmanE.B.An “acid” phosphatase occurring in the serum of patients with metastasizing carcinoma of the prostate gland.J Clin Invest1938; 17: 473–8.
7.
HillB.R., LeviC.Elevation of a serum component in neoplastic disease.Cancer Res1954; 14: 513–15.
8.
FishmanW.H., InglisN.I., StolbachL.L.A serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme of human neoplastic cell origin.Cancer Res1968; 28: 150–4.
9.
RosenS.W., WeintraubB.D., VaitukaitisJ.L.Placental proteins and their subunits as tumor markers.Ann Intern Med1975; 82: 71–83.
10.
AbelevG.I.Production of embryonal serum alpha globulin by hepatomas. Review of experimental and clinical data.Cancer Res1963; 28: 1344–50.
11.
GoldP., FreemanS.O.Demonstration of tumour-specific antigens in human colonic carcinomata by immunological intolerance and absorption techniques.J Exp Med1965; 121: 439–45.
12.
YalowR.S., BersonS.A.Immunoassay of endogenous plasma insulin in man.J Clin Invest1960; 39: 1157.
13.
KöhlerH., MillsteinC.Continuous cultures of fused cells secreting antibody of pre-defined specificity.Nature1975; 256: 495.
14.
SturgeonC., AronssonA.C., DuffyM.J., HanssonL.O., KlapdorR., Van DalenA.European Group on Tumour Markers: Consensus recommendations.Anticancer Res1999; 19: 2785–820.
15.
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).Clinical practice guidelines for the use of tumor markers in breast and colorectal cancer.J Clin Oncol1996; 14: 2843–77.
16.
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).1997 update and recommendations for the use of tumor markers in breast and colorectal cancer.J Clin Oncol1998; 16: 793–5.
17.
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).1998 update of recommended breast cancer surveillance guidelines.J Clin Oncol1999; 17: 1080–2.
18.
HayesD.F.Tumor markers for breast cancer. Current utilities and future prospects.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am1994; 8: 485–506.
19.
HayesD.F.Serum (circulating) tumor markers for breast cancer.Recent Results Cancer Res1996; 140: 101–13.
20.
StearnsV., YamauchiH., HayesD.F.Circulating tumor markers in breast cancer: accepted utilities and novel prospects.Breast Cancer Res Treat1998; 52: 239–59.
21.
FitzgibbonsP.L., PageD.L., WeaverD.Prognostic factors in breast cancer. College of American Pathologists Consensus Statement 1999.Arch Pathol Lab Med2000; 124: 966–78.
22.
CoeberghJ.W.W., Van der HeijdenL.H., Janssen-HeijnenM.L.G., eds. Cancer incidence and survival in the southeast of the Netherlands 1955–1994. A report from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry, IKZ Comprehensive Cancer Centre South.Eindhoven: Lecturis BV, 1995.
23.
VisserO., CoeberghJ.W.W., SchoutenL.S., eds. Incidence of cancer in the Netherlands 1993. Fifth report of the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Utrecht: Vereniging van Integrale Kankercentra, 1996.
24.
WingoP.A., TongT., BoldenS.Cancer statistics 1995.CA Cancer J Clin1995; 45: 8–30.
25.
ThomasC.M.G., WobbesTh, BonfrerJ.M.G., PeterseJ.L., NapM., BeexLVAM. Tumormerkstoffen bij opsporing, diagnostiek en behandeling van patiënten met mammacarcinoom.Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd1993; 137: 2354–57.
26.
WobbesTh, ThomasC.M.G., SegersM.F.G.De waarde van tumormerkstoffen (waaronder carcino-embryonaal antigeen) bij de diagnostiek van kwaadaardige gezwellen van het maag-darmkanaal.Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd1993; 137: 995–9.
27.
WymengaL.F.A., MensinkH.J.A.Prostaatspecifiek antigeen als tumormerkstof voor prostaatcarcinoom.Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd1999; 143: 1733–8.
28.
FosterR.S., NicholsC.R.Testicular cancer: What's new in staging, prognosis, and therapy.Oncology1999; 13: 1689–94.
29.
StenmanU.H.Prostate-specific antigen, clinical use and staging: an overview.Br J Urol1997; 79(Suppl. 1): 53–60.
30.
SchröderF.H., BangmaC.H.The European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).Br J Urol1997; 79(Suppl. 1): 68–71.
31.
ZappaM., CiattoS., BonardiR., MazzottaA.Overdiagnosis of prostate carcinoma by screening: an estimate based on the results of the Florence Screening Pilot Study.Ann Oncol1998; 9: 1297–300.
32.
StameyT.A., ChenZ., PrestigiacomoA.F.Reference material for PSA: the IFCC standardization study. International Federation of Clinical Chemistry.Clin Biochem1998; 31: 475–81.
33.
OesterlingJ.E., JacobsenS.J., ChuteC.G.Serum prostate-specific antigen in a community-based population of healthy men. Establishment of age-specific reference ranges.JAMA1993; 270: 860–4.
34.
CatalonaW.J., PartinA.W., SlawinK.M.Use of the percentage of free prostate-specific antigen to enhance differentiation of prostate cancer from benign prostatic disease: a prospective multicenter clinical trial.JAMA1998; 279: 1542–7.
35.
CarterH.B., PearsonJ.D., MetterE.J.Longitudinal evaluation of prostate-specific antigen levels in men with and without prostate disease.JAMA1992; 267: 2215–20.
36.
VashiA.R., WojnoK.J., HenricksW.Determination of the “reflex range” and appropriate cutpoints for percent free prostate-specific antigen in 413 men referred for prostatic evaluation using the AxSYM system.Urology1997; 49: 19–27.
37.
Van IerselM.P., ThomasC.M.G., SegersM.F.G., WitjesW.P.J., DebruyneF.M.J., OosterhofG.O.N.The use of ‘ultrasensitive’ prostate-specific antigen assays in the detection of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.Br J Urol1996; 77: 418–22.
38.
CheungK.L., GravesC.R., RobertsonJ.F.Tumour marker measurements in the diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer.Cancer Treat Rev2000; 26: 91–102.
39.
RobertsonJ.F., JaegerW., SyzmenderaJ.J.The objective measurement of remission and progression in metastatic breast cancer by use of serum tumour markers. European Group for Serum Tumour Markers in Breast Cancer.Eur J Cancer1999; 35: 47–53.
40.
CheugK.L., PinderS.E., PaishC.The role of blood tumor marker measurement (using a biochemical index score and c-erbB2) in directing chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.Int J Biol Markers2000; 15: 203–9.
41.
WobbesT., ThomasC.M.G., SegersM.F.G., NagengastF.M.Evaluation of seven tumor markers (CA 50, CA 19-9, CA 19-9 TruQuant, CA 72-4, CA 195, carcinoembryonic antigen, and tissue polypeptide antigen) in the pretreatment sera of patients with gastric carcinoma.Cancer1992; 69: 2036–41.
42.
Di BisceglieA.M., RustgiV.K., HoffnagleJ.H., DusheikoG.M., LotzeM.T.Hepatocellular carcinoma.Ann Int Med1988; 108: 390–401.
LamerzR.AFP isoforms and their clinical significance (overview).Anticancer Res1997; 17: 2927–30.
45.
OkudaH., NakanishiT., TakatsuK.Measurement of serum levels of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by a revised enzyme immunoassay kit with increased sensitivity.Cancer1999; 85: 812–8.
46.
JacobsI., StabileI., BridgesJ., KemsleyP., ReynoldsC., GrudzinskasJ., OramD.Multimodal approach to screening for ovarian cancer.Lancet1988; i: 268–71.
47.
JacobsI., BastR.C.The CA 125 tumour-associated antigen: a review of the literature.Hum Reprod1989; 4: 1–12.
48.
SkatesS.J., XuF.J., YuY.H.Towards an optimal algorithm for ovarian cancer screening with longitudinal tumour markers.Cancer1995; 76: 2004–10.
49.
JacobsI.Genetic, biochemical, and multimodal approaches to screening for ovarian cancer.Gynecol Oncol1994; 55: S22–7.
50.
CrumpC., McIntoshM.W., UrbanN., AndersonG., KarlanB.Y.Ovarian cancer tumor marker behavior in asymptomatic healthy women: implications for screening.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev2000; 9: 1107–11.
51.
NIH Consensus Development Panel on Ovarian Cancer.Ovarian cancer: screening, treatment, and follow-up.Gynecol Oncol1994; 55: S4–14.
52.
StrattinJ.F., GaytherS.A., RussellP.Contribution of BR-CA 1 mutations to ovarian cancer.N Engl J Med1997; 335: 1125–30.
53.
SchutterE.M.J., KenemansP., SohnC.Diagnostic value of pelvic examination, ultrasound and serum CA 125 in postmenopausal women with a pelvic mass.Cancer1994; 74: 1398–406.
54.
RustinG.J.S.The clinical value of tumour markers in the management of ovarian cancer.Ann Clin Biochem1996; 33: 284–9.
55.
MeyerT., RustinG.J.Role of tumour markers in monitoring epithelial ovarian cancer.Br J Cancer2000; 82: 1535–8.
56.
RustinG.J., NelstropA.E., BentzenS.M., PiccartM.J., BertelsenK.Use of tumour markers in monitoring the course of ovarian cancer.Ann Oncol1999; 10(Suppl. 1): 21–7.
57.
RustinG.J., NelstropA.E., McCleanP.Defining response of ovarian carcinoma to initial chemotherapy according to serum CA 125.J Clin Oncol1996; 14: 1545–51.
58.
BridgewaterJ.A., NelstropA.E., RustinG.J., GoreM.E., McGuireW.P., HoskinsW.J.Comparison of standard and CA-125 response criteria in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer treated with platinum or paclitaxel.J Clin Oncol1999; 17: 501–8.
59.
RustinG.J., NelstropA.E., BentzenS.M., BondS.J., McCleanP.Selection of active drugs for ovarian cancer based on CA-125 and standard response rates in phase II trials.J Clin Oncol2000; 18: 1733–9.
60.
Van der BurgM.E.L., van LentM., BuyseM., KobierskaA., ColomboN., FavalliG.The effect of debulking surgery after induction chemotherapy on the prognosis in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.N Engl J Med1995; 332: 629–34.
61.
KoperN.P., MassugerLFAG, ThomasC.M.G., KiemeneyLALM, VerbeekA.L.M.Serum CA 125 measurements to identify patients with endometrial cancer who require lymphadenectomy.Anticancer Res1998; 18: 1897–902.
62.
MassugerLFAG, KoperN.P., ThomasC.M.G., DomK.E.L., SchijfC.P.T.Improvement of clinical staging in cervical cancer with serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen and CA 125 determinations.Gynecol Oncol1997; 64: 473–6.
63.
DukJ.M., KlaasH., de BruijnH.Pre-treatment serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen: a newly identified prognostic factor in early stage cervical cancer.J Clin Oncol1996; 14: 111–8.
64.
DukJ.M., de BruijnH., KlaasK.H., FleurenG.J., AaldersJ.G.Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: prognostic significance of pre-treatment serum CA 125, squamous cell carcinoma antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen levels in relation to clinical and histopathologic tumor characteristics.Cancer1990; 65: 1830–7.
65.
YedemaC.A., VerheijenR.H., KenemansP.Identification of patients with persistent trophoblastic disease by means of a normal human chorionic gonadotropin regression curve.Am J Obstet Gynecol1993; 168: 787–92.
66.
ThomasC.M.G., SegersM.F.G., HouxP.C.W.Comparison of the analytical characteristics and clinical usefulness in tumour monitoring of fifteen hCG (-ß) immunoassay kits.Ann Clin Biochem1985; 22: 236–46.
67.
Van LeusdenHAIM, ed. Diagnostisch Kompas 1999/2000: Voorlichting over aanvullende diagnostiek.Amstelveen, The Netherlands: Commissie Aanvullende Diagnostiek van het College voor Zorgverzekeringen, 1999.
68.
De WitteJ.H., SweepC.G.J., KlijnJ.G.M.Prognostic impact of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) in cytosols and pellet extracts derived from 892 breast cancer patients.Brit J Cancer1999; 79: 1190–8.
69.
De WitteJ.H., SweepC.G.J., KlijnJ.G.M.Prognostic value of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and its complex with the type-1 inhibitor (PAI-1) in breast cancer.Br J Cancer1999; 80: 286–94.
70.
BudillonA.Molecular genetics of cancer.Cancer1995; 76: 1869–73.
71.
QuirkeP., MapstoneN.The new bioloy: histopathology.Lancet1999; 354(Suppl. 1): 26–31.
72.
LeeEY-HP. Tumor suppressor genes and their alterations in breast cancer.Sem Cancer Biol1995; 6: 119–25.
