The use of oncofetal antigen FSA in discrimination between benign and malignant gastric ulceration

Discrimination between histologically confirmed benign and malignant gastric ulcerations was studied, using an oncofetal antigen (FSA) as the parameter of malignant transformation. In chronic gastric ulcer FSA could be found in 54.2% as compared with 20.0% in duodenal ulcer patients. 91.1% of gastric cancers were FSA positive. A current epidemiological study on a non-selected population gives 8.8% FSA secretors. The study supports the earlier conception that chronic gastric ulcer must be considered a precursor of cancer, and indicates the need, especially in cases showing FSA secretion, for active surgical therapy or a long-term follow-up with endoscopic biopsies.