Serum tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) as tumor marker for bladder cancer

Tissue polypeptide antigen is a differentiation and proliferation marker of non-squamous epithelium and derived neoplasms. No reliable tumor markers are available for bladder cancer. The value of tissue polypeptide antigen was therefore prospectively investigated. The serum tissue polypeptide antigen samples were obtained from 144 newly diagnosed transitional cell carcinoma patients and from 92 patients that were followed after treatment. The normal cut off value was defined at 95 units per liter. Nearly all TaT1 patients had normal TPA values, and 80% of the muscle invasive cancers had normal TPA levels. In those patients where TPA was elevated before treatment its monitoring proved to be a reliable predictor of tumor progression. Tissue polypeptide antigen is a useful marker not for the early detection of bladder cancer but for the monitoring of the efficacy of a treatment.