A clinical study on the tumor associated antigen CA50 in the monitoring of genitourinary malignancies

: The tumor associated antigen CA50 was examined in serum level of 84 patients with genitourinary malignancies, 48 patients with genitourinary benign diseases and 35 normal persons by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). The mean CA50 value in the patients with genitourinary malignancy was much higher then that in patients with benign genitourinary diseases and that in the normal control group (P < 0.05-0.01). Taking 17 u/ml as the upper limit of normal range, the positive rates were 55% (11/20) of patients with renal cell carcinoma, 78% (7/8) in pyeloureteric carcinoma, 65% (30/46) in bladder cancer and 70% (7/10) in genital malignancies. The sensitivity of CA50 for the patients with genitourinary malignancy was 65.5% (55/84) and the specificity was 87.5% (42/48). The measurement of level of serum CA50 also could be used to monitor the clinical change and responses during the course of treatment. It might be helpful to predict the recurrence of tumor after surgical treatment.