Usefulness of the SCC, CEA, CYFRA 21.1, and CRP markers for the diagnosis and monitoring of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Summary Objective: To determine the usefulness of the SCC, CEA, CYFRA 21.1, and CRP markers for the diagnosis and early monitoring after treatment completion in women diagnosed with cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Material and methods: Serum of 140 patients with diagnosed cervical squamous cell carcinoma was investigated. The women with the advanced stage of cervical carcinoma (FIGO IIIB) were divided into two subgroups: with positive and negative outcomes of the treatment. Levels of SCC, CEA, CYFRA 21.1, and CRP were measured before the treatment and immediately after the completion of radiotherapy. Immunochemical methods were used to measure proteins in both serum and plasma samples. Results: 75% of the markers measured were within the reference range for FIGO stage I. The marker levels rose with the clinical progression of the disease. The median levels of all markers and the CRP levels in both groups were compared before the treatment. Only in case of CEA a considerable variation between these groups was observed. Elevated levels of CRP were observed twice more often in patients with negative outcome of the treatment. After the treatment, a significant decrease in all marker levels was observed in patients with positive outcome when compared to the levels at the moment of the diagnosis. Conclusions: SCC, CEA and CYFRA 21.1 markers show low diagnostic sensitivity in early stages of the disease in women diagnosed with cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The concentration of markers measured before the treatment, particularly CEA, may prove to be of prognostic value for women diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Certain markers may prove useful in the assessment of the therapy used. Measuring the CRP before the treatment may aid the prognosis of response to treatment in these patients.