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Serum -Fetoprotein as a Biochemical Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma¹

Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20014 [K. R. M., G. L. P.], and Solid Tumor Center, Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda [C. L. V., L. R. P.]

The demonstration of -fetoprotein (FP) has proven value in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, but little is known of the dynamics of this protein during the course of the disease. A sensitive, quantitative test has been used to measure FP serum levels in 90 Ugandan patients with histologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma. By the standard double diffusion immunological test, 71% of the patients were FP positive. The quantitative values were spread over a wide range from 0.5 to 4000 µg/ml, with a median value of 71 µg/ml.

Forty-one patients (26 before treatment and 15 during chemotherapy) were followed with serial serum FP determinations. There was a remarkable stability in the level for each patient, which levels showed little fluctuation during the time they were followed, regardless of the initial level. The only consistent change was a slight tendency for the serum FP to rise as the disease progressed. A striking difference was noted in four patients receiving partial hepatectomy who showed a rapid decline in serum FP and became negative postoperatively.

¹ This work was supported in part by Contract PH 43-67-1343 from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md., and was presented in part at the Second Conference and Workshop on Embryonic and Fetal Antigens in Cancer, Oak Ridge, Tenn., February 14 to 16, 1972.

² To whom reprint requests should be sent.

Received 4/ 5/72. Accepted 6/ 1/72.