To date, serum tumor marker concentrations have proved unhelpful in the management of patients with gastric cancer. But in a few recent studies, CA72-4 assay is a reliable tumor marker of disease stage and activity in gastric cancer. In our
study,
the
presence of three serum markers of carcinoma, CA72-4(tumor associated grycoprotein 72), CA19-9, and CEA(carcinoembrionic antigen), were evaluated in 199 patients diagnosed with either gastric malignant(n=128), or benign(n=71), between September
1994 and
February 1995. Of the 128 patients diagnosed as gastric carcinoma, the percentage of patients whose serum samples were positive for CA72-4, CEA, or CA19-9 were 12.5, 8.6, and 25.0% respectively. In control group, positivities for CA72-4, CEA, or
CA19-9
were 1.4, 3, and 12% respectively. In statistical analysis, between tumor stage, serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis and positivity of C72-4, there was no significant relationship. The findings suggest that although serum CA72 4 level was
high
in
advanced stage, serosal invasion, and lymph node metastasis, but CA72-4 was not helpful compare with CEA in surveilance of gastric cancer.
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