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The use of a radioimmunoassay for alpha‐fetoprotein in the diagnosis of malignancy
Author(s) -
Waldmann Thomas A.,
McIntire K. Robert
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197410)34:8+<1510::aid-cncr2820340824>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - radioimmunoassay , medicine , alpha (finance) , malignancy , alpha fetoprotein , pathology , surgery , hepatocellular carcinoma , construct validity , patient satisfaction
Using a double antibody radioimmunoassay test, α‐fetoprotein was elevated (i.e., over 40 ng/ml) in 72% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 75% of patients with teratocarcinoma or embryonal cell carcinoma of the testis, 23% of patients with pancreatic carcinoma, 18% of patients with gastric carcinoma, 5% of patients with colonic carcinoma, and 7% of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma studied. In contrast to these positive findings in patients with cancer, none of the 210 normal controls over 1 year of age and only 1 of the 300 patients with chronic nonhepatic diseases other than ataxia telangiectasia had elevated levels. All of the 40 patients studied with the immunodeficiency disease, ataxia telangiectasia, had elevated AFP levels in accord with the view that these patients have a defect in organ differentiation. The radioimmunoassay for AFP was of special value in monitoring the effectiveness of therapy of certain forms of malignancy (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma, embryonal cell carcinoma, and teratocarcinoma of the testis), since the product of a few tumor cells was detectable with this assay when AFP was undetectable as assessed by agar diffusion tests and when the residual tumor could not be detected by other clinical parameters.