[Alpha-fetoprotein--diagnostic utility in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck]

The authors present results of evaluation of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in 146 persons (108 patients with head and neck carcinoma and 38 healthy persons as control group). We analyzed a concentration of AFP in preliminary study and in monitoring depending on clinical advances of tumour, mass of primary tumour and metastases to lymph nodes. Our results indicate that evaluation of AFP have not high value in diagnostic procedures and monitoring patients with head and neck carcinoma.