Pre-operative serum levels of tissue polypeptide antigen in patients with gastric cancer

Abstract Pre-operative serum tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) levels were measured in cases of gastric cancer from December 1987 to December 1992. All 351 cases received gastrectomies. The clinicopathological factors were analysed. The significant factors that correlated with the elevation of pre-operative serum TPA levels included tumour size (> 7 cm), Borrmann-type cancers, late stages (III and IV), lymph node metastasis, hepatic metastasis and Ming's expanding type cancers. Multivariate analysis showed that the tumour size (> 7 cm) and the presence of hepatic metastasis are significant factors. To clarify the relationships between gastric cancer per se and the pre-operative serum TPA levels, we selected cases without evidence of metastasis (n = 139). The tumour size was the only significant factor when multivariate analysis was applied. Possibilities of hepatic recurrence were found in cases with high pre-operative serum TPA levels (> 220 U/L), even radical gastrectomies were performed. A high pre-operative serum TPA level did not display a poor survival prognosis, if the radical gastrectomy was possible. We thus concluded that: (i) elevated pre-operative serum levels of TPA are associated with either a large size tumour (> 7 cm) or the presence of hepatic metastasis and the tumour size is the most important factor relating to the serum TPA levels; (ii) high pre-operative serum TPA levels (> 220 U/L) may serve as indicators of later hepatic recurrence; and (iii) elevated serum TPA levels were not indicators of survival prognosis.