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Clinical Usefulness of Markers in Monitoring Patients with Cancer

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Hormones and Cancer

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 138))

Abstract

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the identification and clinical application of tumor-associated antigens. Most antigens associated with tumors may be subclassified simply as hormonal or non-hormonal. Some of those markers may be found associated with some tumors as well as normal fetal fluids or tissues and, consequently, are termed oncofetal proteins. Those fetal antigens may be present in some tissues and serum of the fetus in large quantities, but circulate at considerably lower concentrations at the end of gestation and in the adult. Oncofetal proteins include alphafetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen. Some hormonal markers provide clues to occult carcinomas because of associated paraendocrine syndromes. In most cases, tumor production of hormonal or non-hormonal substances does not result in clinical syndromes. In selected cases, hormonal and non-hormonal markers may provide excellent markers to monitor tumor therapy and recurrence. The “ideal” tumor marker has never been realized in that a substance has not been identified for a specific tumor type and not found in sera of patients without tumor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Boston City Hospital, USA

    Leonard M. Pogach & Judith L. Vaitukaitis

  2. Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Leonard M. Pogach & Judith L. Vaitukaitis

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  1. Leonard M. Pogach
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  2. Judith L. Vaitukaitis
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, USA

    Wendell W. Leavitt

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© 1982 Plenum Press, New York

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Pogach, L.M., Vaitukaitis, J.L. (1982). Clinical Usefulness of Markers in Monitoring Patients with Cancer. In: Leavitt, W.W. (eds) Hormones and Cancer. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 138. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7192-6_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7192-6_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-7194-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-7192-6

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