Clinical-evaluation of serum basic fetoprotein as a marker in urogenital malignant-tumors

Serum basic fetoprotein (BFP) and other markers were assessed for use in urogenital malignant tumors. Useful in gastric, hepatic, pancreatic and mammary carcinomas, BFP is not very organ specific. Studies of its marker efficiency in urogenital tumors seem fitting. 190 untreated urogenital cancer patients were studied. Serum BFP was examined by EIA using a MoAb and compared with seven non-specific other cancer markers. Serum BFP efficiency in renal cell carcinoma was higher than TPA and lower than IAP and did not correlate with either; in seminoma it was lower than AFP and similar to beta-hCG; in prostatic carcinoma it was lower than PSA and higher than PAP and showed a comparatively stronger correlation with PSA. In three cancers it increased with tumor stage. Indispensable in diagnosing testicular tumors, some marker are, unlike BFP in our study, not effective in assessing and monitoring seminoma and are less efficient in the diagnosis of early prostatic carcinoma. A combination assay involving BFP and these antigens would be useful.