Abstract
The tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), TPS, CA 19-9, CA 50 and CA 242 were analysed in serum from 203 potentially curable colorectal cancer patients. The levels of all markers increased with increasing tumour stage, and all markers correlated with survival. Multivariate analyses indicated that the Dukes stage had the best prognostic explanatory power, followed by TPA. In the subset of 166 potentially cured patients, the prognostic information by the markers was substantially reduced. We conclude that preoperative serum tumour marker measurements have the potential to aid therapy selection, but also that their clinical usefulness is not immediately apparent.
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Lindmark, G., Bergström, R., Påhlman, L. et al. The association of preoperative serum tumour markers with Dukes' stage and survival in colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer 71, 1090–1094 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.211
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.211
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