[Functioning tumor of lung, producing non-Regan type of alkaline phosphatase]

There are various functioning tumors in human organs and sometimes it is very difficult to make a diagnosis in the early stage of the disease. Functioning tumors of the lung which produce alkaline phosphatase can be divided into two groups, the Regan type and the non Regan type. Our patient showed a high blood level of alkaline phosphatase without hepatic functioning abnormality and hepatomegaly. Nevertheless, we concluded that this alkaline phosphatase was isoenzymatically of hepatic origin. The type of alkaline phosphatase was very similar to that of Sella's lung cancer patient. Autopsy of our patient revealed moderately differentiated lung adenocarcinoma similar to Sella's report, suggesting that the alkaline phosphatase was of the non-Regan type.