[Role of tissue polypeptide antigen as a marker in bladder cancer]

Presentation of a review of TPA serum levels in 207 patients, 160 of which had vesical carcinoma. This population comprises 37 patients who had suffered vesical carcinoma but whom, at entry in the study, did not display clinic evidence of that: 11 patients with benign vesical pathology; 84 patients with primary vesical tumour, and 76 patients with relapsing vesical tumour. Tumoral staging resulted in 72 Ta, 49 T1, 10 T2, 14 T3, and 15 Ta. Distribution with regard to degree of differentiation was as follows: 52 GI, 61 GII and 40 GIII. Sensitivity of serum TPA in our series was 39% and specificity 94%. When tumours were subdivided into surface and infiltrant tumours, sensitivity was 28% and 72% respectively (p < 0.01). Patients presenting normal levels of serum TPA took longer to relapse than those who had high levels. Mean time to relapse was 17 months for the first group, and 12 months for the second group. Serum TPA increased its performance with carcinomas of higher grade and stage, but it does not have enough sensitivity to be considered a useful marker in low stages. However, serum TPA relationship to the tumour's invasive degree and the disease-free interval are an indication for their likely use as a prognostic factor to delimit the groups with higher risk of relapse.