Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in patients with invasive cervical carcinoma during primary irradiation

In a prospective study, serum concentrations of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen were determined by radioimmunoassay from 74 healthy volunteers and 54 patients with cervical carcinoma who underwent irradiation therapy. 5.4% of the controls had SCC levels greater than 3.0 ng/ml, which was considered as upper limit of the normal range. 31/54 (57.4%) patients and 60% of the patients with SCC had elevated pretreatment levels. In all patients with pretreatment serum levels above 3.0 ng/ml, SCC serum levels decreased during irradiation therapy. 4/5 patients with posttreatment levels greater than 0.5 ng/ml developed recurrence or persistence of tumor, 1 patient could not be followed up. Good conformity was found between SCC antigen serum levels and therapy response. SCC antigen determinations during and after therapy provide a useful tool in detecting progression and persistence of tumor.