Author/Editor     Novaković, Srdjan
Title     Tumor markers in clinical oncology
Translated title     Tumorski označevalci v klinični onkologiji
Type     članek
Source     Radiol Oncol
Vol. and No.     Letnik 38, št. 2
Publication year     2004
Volume     str. 73-83
Language     eng
Abstract     The subtle differences between normal and tumor cells are exploited in the detection and treatment of cancer. These differences are designated as tumor markers and can be either qualitative or quantitative in their nature. That means that both the structures that are produced by tumor cells as well as the structures that are produced in excessive amounts by host tissues under the influence of tumor cells can function as tumor markers. Speaking in general, the tumor markers are the specific molecules appearing in the blood or tissues and the occurrence of which is associated with cancer. According to their application, tumor markers can be roughly divided as markers in clinical oncology and markers in pathology. In this review, only tumor markers in clinical oncology are going to be discussed. Current tumor markers in clinical oncology include (i) oncofetal antigens, (ii) placental proteins, (iii) hormones, (iv) enzymes, (v) tumor-associated antigens, (vi) special serum proteins, (vii) catecholamine metabolites, and (viii) miscellaneous markers. As to the literature, an ideal tumor marker should fulfil certain criteria - when using it as a test for detection of cancer disease: (1) posirive results should occur in the early stages of the disease, (2) positive results should occur only in the patients with a specific type of malignancy, (3) positive results should occur in all patients with the same malignancy, (4) the measured values should correlate with the stage of the disease, (5) the measured values should correlate to the response to treatment, (6) the marker should be easy to measure. Most tumor markers available today meet several, but not all criteria. As a consequence of that, some criteria were chosen for the validation and proper selection of the most appropriate marker in a particular malignancy, and these are: (1) markers' sensitivity, (2) specificity, and (3) predictive values. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Summary     Majhne razlike med normalnimi in tumorsko spremenjenimi celicami izkoriščamo v diagnostiki in zdravljenju malignomov. Te razlike označujemo z imenom tumorski označevalci in so lahko kvalitativne ali kvantitativne po svoji naravi. To pomeni, da lahko kot tumorski označevalci služijo tako molekule (snovi), ki jih tvorijo maligne celice kot tudi molekule (snovi), ki nastajajo v povečanih količinah v normalnih gostiteljevih tkivih pod vplivom malignih celic. Na splošno so tumorski označevalci značilne molekule, ki se pojavijo v krvi ali tkivih v povezavi z maligno boleznijo. Glede na uporabo delimo tumorske označevalce v grobem na označevalce v klinični onkologiji in označevalce v patologiji. V tem preglednem članku bomo obravnavali le označevalce v klinični onkologiji. Sedanja razdelitev tumorskih označevalcev v klinični onkologiji vključuje: onkofetalne antigene, placentalne proteine, hormone, encime, antigene, ki spremljajo tumor, posebne serumske proteine, kateholaminske metabolite ter skupino različnih označevalcev. Na kratko lahko povzamemo, da mora idealni tumorski označevalec izpolnjevati določene pogoje: (1) povišane koncentracije označevalca se morajo pojaviti že na začetku razvoja malignoma, (2) koncentracije označevalca morajo biti povišane le pri bolnikih z določeno vrsto malignoma, (3) povišane koncentracije se morajo pojaviti pri vseh bolnikih z enako vrsto malignoma, (4) izmerjene koncentracije morajo odražati velikost tumorske mase, (5) izmerjene koncentracije morajo odražati učinek zdravljenja in (6) določanje označevalca mora biti enostavno. Marsikateri med tumorskimi označevalci, ki jih določamo vsakodnevno, izpolnjuje nekatere, ne pa vseh navedenih pogojev. Kot posledico tega so raziskovalci vpeljali nekaj pojmov, ki naj bi opredelili kvaliteto tumorskega označevalca in omogočili čim boljšo izbiro označevalca za spremljanje določene vrste malignoma. (Izvleček skrajšan pri 2000 znakih).
Descriptors     NEOPLASMS
TUMOR MARKERS, BIOLOGICAL
CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN
ALPHA-FETOPROTEINS
ANTIGENS, TUMOR-ASSOCIATED, CARBOHYDRATE
SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY