Polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) were determined in 24‐hour urine samples by a high voltage electrophoresis technique. Normal values were established in 42 normal volunteers. Thirty‐eight of 56 patients with metastatic cancer had two or more levels elevated. Approximately two‐thirds of patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma. metastatic squamous cell cancer or metastatic disease to the liver, lungs, or bones had elevated levels. All 6 patients with localized malignant tumors had elevated urinary polyamine levels. Elevations were also seen in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy and bronchial adenoma.

Polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) were determined in 24-hour urine samples by a high voltage electroporesis techique. Twenty-four of 26 patients with localized malignant tumors had two or more elevated urinary polyamine levels. Seven of 12 patients with regional spread of their cancer and five of 11 patients with localized benign and/or noninvasive tumors had elevated urinary polyamine levels. Elevations were seen more frequently frequently in patients with gynecologic tumors. Our data suggest that there is no significant difference between the individual of total polyamine levels obtained in patients with localized malignant tumors, and those levels obtained in patients previously studied with widespread metastatic disease.

No abstract

Polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) were determined in 24-hour urine samples by a high voltage electrophoresis technique. Eleven of 14 patients with widespread metastatic gastrointestinal cancer had two or more elevated polyamine values. Two patients with cancer confined to the colon and two with cancer spread within the pelvis had two or more elevated polyamine values. Three patients who had all known disease removed by surgery, two patients with gastric lymphoma, and one patient with a vilous adenoma of the colon had normal values. Individual values of spermidine and spermine appeared to be elevated more frequently than putrescine values in these patients.