Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) for monitoring head and neck cancer.

Eighty-eight patients with head and neck cancer were prospectively monitored, before and after treatment, by means of simultaneous serum SCC, CEA and TATI measurements. Thirty-two (36.6%) patients had early stages (I, II, III) and 56 (63.4%) advanced (stage IV) or recurrent disease. Pre-treatment serum SCC levels were elevated in 20.4% of patients, CEA in 27.2% and TATI in 4.5%. There was no correlation between the incidence of TATI elevation and tumour burden; this marker did not increase with progressing disease stages. CEA and SCC had low sensitivity in the early stages of head and neck cancer and reached 35.7% (20/56 patients) and 25% (14/56 patients) in stage IV or recurrent disease. Despite the low sensitivity of these tumour markers, there was a correlation between tumour marker levels and the course of the disease. This study indicates that the routine assessment of SCC, CEA and TATI serum levels is of no value. However, it can be used as a potential tool for monitoring the efficacy of individual therapy in both early and advanced stages of head and neck cancer.