Urinary hexosaminidase in patients with lung carcinoma

The specific activity of urinary hexosaminidase was determined in 58 patients with various histological types of lung carcinoma. Compared to an apparently healthy control population, 32/35 patients with widely disseminated disease showed elevated values and 18/23 patients with disease confined to the chest had normal hexosaminidase values. Detailed studies of 18 patients indicated that declining hexosaminidase values were associated with effective therapy, rising values generally accompanied progressive disease.