Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence Using the Highly Sensitive Fucosylated Fraction of Alpha-Fetoprotein

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-L3 was originally reported as a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-specific tumor marker, and recent accumulation of evidence has revealed that AFP-L3 frequency predicts the biological malignancy potential of HCC. However, AFP-L3 elevation from undetectable levels after curative treatment could not be discussed due to the difficulties of calculating AFP-L3 concentrations when serum AFP levels were low. Here, as a novel method, we used highly sensitive AFP-L3 frequency to predict HCC recurrence after curative treatment. Our cases illustrate that recognizing elevation of AFP-L3 from undetectable levels led to the early detection of recurrent HCC due to more careful surveillance.

Persistent Elevation of CA 19-9 Levels in the Long-term Follow-up before Laryngeal Cancer

ABSTRACT Introduction CA 19-9 is used as a tumor marker in colon, pancreas, biliary, and gastric cancers. Laryngeal cancer is the most common malignant epithelial tumor among head and neck cancers and has no specific tumor marker. Case report A 66-year-old male patient had severe reflux symptoms during 5 years and had an isolated CA 19-9 elevation. Follow-up analysis revealed that he had larynx cancer and after laryngectomy, CA 19-9 levels decreased to normal range. Discussion Currently, CA 19-9 is not a marker for malignancy. Laryngeal carcinoma has no specific tumor marker, but laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma may be manifested by elevated CA 19-9 levels. How to cite this article Özkan H, Karakaya F, Karaeren Z, Perçinel S. Persistent Elevation of CA 19-9 Levels in the Long-term Follow-up before Laryngeal Cancer. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(1):92-94.

Selection, identification, and characterization of aptamers for pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (31–98), a tumor marker for small cell lung cancer

Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (31–98) (ProGRP31–98) is a highly reliable, sensitive, and specific tumor marker for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Familial synchronous bilateral teratoid Wilms tumor with elevated alpha-fetoprotein level

Familial Wilms tumor is a rare entity that accounts for only 1–2% of all Wilms tumor cases, with an earlier age of onset and an increased frequency of bilateral tumors. Teratoid Wilms tumor is a variant of nephroblastoma with a predominance of heterologous tissues comprising more than 50% of the tumor volume. Wilms tumor does not usually secrete any specific tumor marker and all teratoid Wilms tumor cases previously reported were sporadic non-secreting neoplasms. Here we describe an infant with familial synchronous bilateral teratoid Wilms tumor whose serum alpha-fetoprotein level was elevated. To our knowledge, this extremely rare type of case is reported for the first time in the literature.

Significance of pathohistological findings and the expression of Bcl-2 in diagnosis and treatment of oral planocellular carcinoma

Background/Aim. Numerous studies were aimed to detect and characterize various tumor markers in patients with oral planocellular carcinoma in order to reduce moratlity and mobidity rates of these patients, as well as to establish the correlation between the expression of specific tumor marker and prognostic outcome. The aim of this study was to determine patohistological characteristics of tumor and peritumor tissue in patients with oral planocellular carcinoma, with special regard to the expression of Bcl-2, as well as to point out the significance of clinicomorphological correlations for clinical use. Methods. Sixty-two patients with oral planocellular carcinoma, stage II and III, were examined. The patients were surgically treated for this condition at the Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade. Surgical specimens were obtained from both tumor and peritumoral tissues. Patohistologic degree of tumor differentiation and the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 were determinated for each specimens. Results. Twenty-four (39%) patients had tumor dimension T1, while six (9%) and thirty-two (52%) patients had tumor dimension T2 and T3, respectively. Patohistologic analysis of peritumor connective, fat, muscle and bone tissue samples confirmed the presence of tumor infiltration. The expression of Bcl-2 in peritumor tissue samples correlated significantly with tumor?s histologic grade (? = 0.468; p < 0.001), nuclear grade (? = 0.430; p < 0.001) and nucleocytoplasmic ratio (? = 0.410; p = 0.001). Conclusion. This results suggest that the expression of Bcl-2 in combination with patohistologic findings could have a prognostic value in patients with oral planocellular carcinoma.

Clonal immunoglobulin DNA in the plasma of patients with AIDS lymphoma

Immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangements are used to define clonality of suspected B-lineage malignancy in tissue samples. To determine whether such rearrangements could be identified in plasma, we screened plasma from 14 consecutive patients with AIDS-related lymphoma with multiplex Ig primers. Clonally rearranged Ig DNA was detected in plasma from 7 of 14 patients. Patients in whom clonal Ig DNA remained detectable after combination chemotherapy died with lymphoma. Tumor was available from 1 patient, and the IgH amplification products from plasma and tumor were sequenced and confirmed to be identical. Ig DNA rearrangements in plasma may be useful as a lymphoma-specific tumor marker, and failure to clear clonal Ig DNA may identify patients at high risk for failure of standard therapy.