In 114 patients with invasive cervical cancer of the squamous cell type pretreatment CEA levels were determined. An individual upper limit of the normal range was derived taking into account the smoking habits and the age of each patient. Pretreatment CEA levels exceeding the upper limit of normal concurred with a very poor prognosis, regardless of the stage of the tumor. Moreover, in 92 patients longitudinal CEA patterns were established. The median follow-up time of the nonrecurrence patients was four years. Three patients appeared to be exclusively associated with the presence of recurrent cancer. The median lead-time obtained in patients demonstrating such patterns, was 13 weeks. The clinical value and the possible therapeutic consequences of the findings presented are discussed in relation to the available knowledge of tumor growth in cervical cancer.

Abstract--Twenty

An indirect immunofluorescence assay is described which specifically detects antibodies against cervical carcinoma-associated membrane antigens. Cells from the ME-180 cervical carcinoma cell line were used as target cells. Sera had to be absorbed with pooled tonsillar lymphocytes prior to use, to remove nonspecific antibodies. The antibody was detected in 61 of 74 patients (82%) with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix and in 5 of 65 controls (8%). A group of 49 patients with early or preneoplastic stages of this tumor (microinvasive carcinoma, carcinome-in-situ, and dysplasia) did not differ from the control group in the incidence of the antibody (5 of 49 patients, 10%). It is concluded that the occurrence of this antibody is specific for cervical carcinoma (P < 0.001). However, the assay cannot be used as a diagnostic marker for preneoplastic stages of this tumor.

No abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the potential clinical value of AG-4 antibodies in patients with established cervical cancer, in terms of (a) the assessment of prognosis before treatment, and (b) monitoring the course of the cancer process during long-term follow-up. Forty-seven patients were investigated during a median follow-up time of 5.4 years (range 3.5–6.2). During this time, 25 developed recurrent disease. Serum was obtained from all patients before treatment and at regular intervals during follow-up and assayed for antibodies to AG-4. The presence of AG-4 antibodies during follow-up was associated with recurrent disease (p < 0.001). In most cases the presence of AG-4 antibodies preceded the clinical diagnosis of recurrence, with particularly long lead times in the late recurrences. Serial determinations of AG-4 antibodies in patients with invasive cervical cancer may be of clinical value for monitoring the course of the disease during follow-up, thus allowing for earlier application of treatment.