Serum proteins in prostatic cancer. IV. Alterations and clinical response following cryoprostatectomy

Evaluation of alterations in the level of the five major electrophoretic fractions of serum proteins (albumin, alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta- and gamma-globulin) in 18 patients with prostatic cancer prior to and following cryoprostatectomy disclosed: (i) a progressive increase in the level of alpha 2- and beta-globulin and the incidence of patients possessing statistically significant (p less than 0.05) elevations in these proteins with a progression of the stage of their malignancy; (ii) a significant decrease in albumin, alpha 2- and beta-globulin and increase in alpha 1- and gamma-globulin from their preoperative levels following cryoprostatectomy in patients with metastatic disease (stage III) in association with a favorable clinical response; (iii) an overall significant decrease in albumin and alpha 2-globulin and increase in alpha 1-globulin from their preoperative levels and (iv) a general association of decreases in albumin (83% of the patients) and alpha 2-globulin (92%) and gamma-globulin (75%) with a favorable clinical response following cryoprostatectomy. Limited to study of a small patient population, the present results confirm earlier studies suggestive of a prognostic potential for alpha 2-globulin, as applied to stage identification in prostatic cancer once the initial diagnosis has been made. Pending confirmation and evaluation of a larger patient population, the observed alterations in serum protein, while not pathognomonic for prostatic cancer, and alterations of inhibitory ('immunoregulatory') factors, may provide adjunctive criteria for monitoring the clinical response following cryoprostatectomy.