An evaluation of squamous cell carcinoma antigen in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma

In a prospective study, serum concentrations of squamous cell carcinoma antigen, a subfraction of tumor antigen (TA-4), were determined by radioimmunoassay from healthy donors, pregnant women, and subjects with various benign and malignant gynecologic diseases. Ninety-six percent of 99 healthy persons including all 52 female controls, the 15 pregnant patients, and all 23 subjects with benign gynecologic tumors, had squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels less than 2.0 ng/ml. Seven of 51 (14%) patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and 16 of 24 (67%) patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma had squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels greater than 2.0 ng/ml. Declining and rising levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen, which were determined sequentially in nine cases of cervical carcinoma that were associated with elevated pretreatment levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen, correlated with regression and progression of the disease. Serial serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen provide a noninvasive means of monitoring the effects of individual therapy in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma.