Clinical value on measurement of squamous cell carcinoma related antigen (scc antigen) in oral cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma (scc) is the most frequently type of oral cancer, but no reliable specific tumor markers of scc have been obtained. In this paper, the authors applied measurement of squamous cell carcinoma related antigen (scc antigen), a useful tumor marker of scc of the uterine cervix, to oral cancer patients and evaluated the clinical values of scc assay in diagnosis, follow-up and prognosis.The subjects were 29 cases of oral cancer and 23 cases of benign oral disease. The oral cancer cases included 12 cases of tongue cancer, 5 of buccal cancer, 4 of gingival cancer, 2 of cancer of the oral floor, 2 of cancer of the maxillary sinus and 4 cases of other cancers. Twenty one of these cases (about 72%) were histologically scc.Serum scc antigen levels were determined by the RIA KIT employing 125 I-labelled scc antigen as tracer. The cut off level was set as 2.3ng/ml.The following results were obtained.1) The subjects with oral cancer exhibited a higher scc antigen level than those of patients with non-bearing oral cancer or those of cases with benign oral diseases.2) The positive rate of the subjects with oral cancer was relatively high and 44% were at a level over 2.3ng/ml. Particularly in scc, 60% were at a level over 2.3ng/ml. Among 16 subjects with non-bearing oral cancer, on the other hand, only one subject showed positive. All subjects with benign oral disease were within normal range.3) As to the regions of oral cancer, tongue cancer and cancer of the oral floor showed relatively high scc antigen levels.4) There was no relationship between stages and scc antigen levels.5) Post-treatment scc antigen levels tended to decrease to within normal range in cases where the disease followed a good course, while they tended to increase in those that followed a poor course.6) The measurement of scc antigen levels appears to be especially useful for diagnosis, follw-up and evaluating prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.