Tumor markers hormones

CA 15-3 serum tumor marker is intended to detect disease recurrence in stage II and stage III breast cancer patients. It has been reported that CA 15-3, together with other suitable markers, is preferred in measuring the effect of applied hormonal therapy or chemotherapy in metastatic disease. Studies have indicated that CA 15-3 assay values are frequently elevated in patients with breast cancer. These... 

In contrast to enzyme activities, the definition of the proteo-hormone measurands as well as of many tumor markers and cardiac markers is very critical and several aspects have to be regarded as it concerns the epitope to be detected, the sub-unit to be measured (/3-chain or complete molecule) and finally the glycosidic structure of the molecule. 

Up to the present time, various techniques of nonisotopic immunoassay have been developed. Substances to be measured by these techniques include hormones (peptide and nonpeptide), biologically active trace substances, carrier proteins, immunoglobulins, viruses, tumor markers, antibodies against microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, and parasites), autoantibodies, etc. Innumerable papers concerning nonisotopic immunoassay have been published, and enzyme (15, Kl, N5, N6, PI, S2, V4, W9) and fluores-... 

Hormones have been recognized as tumor markers for more than 50 years. The introduction of specific RIA methods for a particular hormone that has very little cross-reactivity with similar hormones made it possible to monitor the treatment of cancer patients. ... 

The measurement of serum hCG improved greatly in the 1970s. The assay specificity improved by using an antibody to the p-subunit of hCG that had httle cross-reactivity with other glycoprotein hormones, LH, FSH, and TSH. Currently, most hCG assays use an immunometric ( sandwich ) format. The hCG assay measures the intact (whole) molecule when an antibody for the a-subunit and an antibody for the p-subunit are used in the immunometric format. This type of assay does not measure free a- or p-subunits because free subunits cannot form a sandwich with both antibodies. The total p-hCG assay measures both the intact hCG and free p-subunits. As a tumor marker, a total P-hCG assay may be preferred, because cancer patients produce notable amounts of free P-subunit. None of the commercially available hCG assays have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a tumor marker assay. 

Carbohydrate-related tumor markers either are (1) antigens on the tumor cell surface or (2) secreted by the tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies have been developed against these antigens. These markers have been found to be clinically useful as tumor markers and tend to be more specific than naturally secreted markers, such as enzymes and hormones. Biochemically, they are high molecular weight mucins (Table 23-10) or blood group antigens (Table 23-11). 

Several proteins having tumor marker potential are listed in Table 23-12. Included in this group of tumor markers are proteins that are not enzymes, hormones, or high in carbohydrate content. Additional research is required to assess the clinical usefulness of most of these markers. 

Vaitukaitis, J. L., 1976, Peptide hormones as tumor markers. Cancer (Suppl. 1) 37 567. 

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