BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of tumor markers in evaluating outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be clarified. SUMMARY: The usefulness of the HCC tumor markers, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) was reviewed. Elevations in these tumor markers at the time of HCC diagnosis correlate with disease progression as assessed by both imaging studies and pathologic examinations. The combination of these three tumor markers results in good predictive ability for patient survival after diagnosis. In addition, combination at the time of HCC diagnosis of these three tumor markers (as a measure of tumor progression) and serum albumin and bilirubin levels (as indicators of remnant liver function) can be used for HCC staging and further predicts prognosis in patients with HCC. KEY MESSAGE: The prognosis of patients with HCC can be well discriminated based solely on serum markers. Staging of HCC with serum markers is objective; if stored serum samples are available, HCC stages can be standardized across different countries and time periods.
BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of tumor markers in evaluating outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be clarified. SUMMARY: The usefulness of the HCC tumor markers, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) was reviewed. Elevations in these tumor markers at the time of HCC diagnosis correlate with disease progression as assessed by both imaging studies and pathologic examinations. The combination of these three tumor markers results in good predictive ability for patient survival after diagnosis. In addition, combination at the time of HCC diagnosis of these three tumor markers (as a measure of tumor progression) and serum albumin and bilirubin levels (as indicators of remnant liver function) can be used for HCC staging and further predicts prognosis in patients with HCC. KEY MESSAGE: The prognosis of patients with HCC can be well discriminated based solely on serum markers. Staging of HCC with serum markers is objective; if stored serum samples are available, HCC stages can be standardized across different countries and time periods.
Authors: Gianluigi Giannelli; Felice Marinosci; Paolo Trerotoli; Anna Volpe; Michele Quaranta; Pietro Dentico; Salvatore Antonaci Journal: Int J Cancer Date: 2005-11-10 Impact factor: 7.396
Authors: K Hayashi; T Kumada; S Nakano; I Takeda; K Sugiyama; S Kiriyama; Y Sone; A Miyata; H Shimizu; S Satomura Journal: Am J Gastroenterol Date: 1999-10 Impact factor: 10.864
Authors: H Oka; A Saito; K Ito; T Kumada; S Satomura; H Kasugai; Y Osaki; T Seki; M Kudo; M Tanaka Journal: J Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2001-12 Impact factor: 4.029
Authors: H Tsukuma; T Hiyama; S Tanaka; M Nakao; T Yabuuchi; T Kitamura; K Nakanishi; I Fujimoto; A Inoue; H Yamazaki Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1993-06-24 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Jie Chen; Fei-Xiang Wu; Hong-Lin Luo; Jun-Jie Liu; Tao Luo; Tao Bai; Le-Qun Li; Xiao-Hui Fan Journal: Am J Transl Res Date: 2016-11-15 Impact factor: 4.060
Authors: Leonardo Lorente; Sergio T Rodriguez; Pablo Sanz; Agustín F González-Rivero; Antonia Pérez-Cejas; Javier Padilla; Dácil Díaz; Antonio González; María M Martín; Alejandro Jiménez; Purificación Cerro; Julián Portero; Manuel A Barrera Journal: World J Hepatol Date: 2022-06-27
Authors: Giovanni Marasco; Francesco Poggioli; Antonio Colecchia; Giuseppe Cabibbo; Filippo Pelizzaro; Edoardo Giovanni Giannini; Sara Marinelli; Gian Ludovico Rapaccini; Eugenio Caturelli; Mariella Di Marco; Elisabetta Biasini; Fabio Marra; Filomena Morisco; Francesco Giuseppe Foschi; Marco Zoli; Antonio Gasbarrini; Gianluca Svegliati Baroni; Alberto Masotto; Rodolfo Sacco; Giovanni Raimondo; Francesco Azzaroli; Andrea Mega; Gianpaolo Vidili; Maurizia Rossana Brunetto; Gerardo Nardone; Luigina Vanessa Alemanni; Elton Dajti; Federico Ravaioli; Davide Festi; Franco Trevisani; On Behalf Of The Italian Liver Cancer Ita Li Ca Group Journal: Cancers (Basel) Date: 2021-05-29 Impact factor: 6.639