Serum Tumor Marker Use in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Serum tumor markers are utilized in cancer management.
• Variability exists in the frequency of serum tumor marker testing for advanced solid tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze the frequency of serum tumor marker use in patients with advanced solid tumors.
• To identify patterns of overuse for specific tumor markers.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 928 patients with advanced cancer.
• Data collected on serum tumor marker tests (a-fetoprotein, CA-125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9, CA 27-29, CEA) over 12 months.
• Evaluation of tests per patient per month and per year.

Main Results:

• Mean individual tests per patient: 7 (max 35); mean total tests: 12 (max 70).
• 16.3% of patients had >12 individual tests/year; 34.3% had >1 test/month.
• CA 19-9 and CEA were most frequently overused.

Conclusions:

• High frequency of serum tumor marker testing observed in advanced solid tumors.
• Need to evaluate the clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness of frequent testing.
• Potential for optimizing testing protocols to reduce healthcare costs.