[Current advancement of assay of tumor markers and the perspective in future].

Cancer has ranked first as regards the cause of death with the longest average life span. So the early cancer detection is very important to prevent cancer death. Tumor-secreted fetal antigens are already part of routine diagnosis of cancer and play an important role in the detection of cancers. However, the present methods for measurement of tumor markers don't have adequate sensitivity to detect early stage of cancer owing to their frequent elevation in benign disease and absence in some cases of malignancy. A cancer screening system with blood samples was devised for purposes of detecting unspecified various cancers. Namely, a modified combination assay with five tumor markers (AFP, CEA, CA19-9, CA125 or PAP, DUPAN-2, and cancer risk factors, pepsinogens (PG) I and II and I/II) was investigated in 50 patients with various cancers. The sensitivity of combination assay with these five tumor markers was 68% but that of modified combination assay with tumor markers and risk factors was as high as 87%. In particular its sensitivity to detect cancer of gastro-intestinal tract was highly improved. It was indicated as a subject of future studies that the sensitivity of modified combination assay could be improved further by the exchange and addition of new adequate tumor markers like as CYFRA 21-1 or ProGRP. So I described here the current advancement of assays of tumor markers and the perspective in future.