The question was asked whether kinetics of CA19-9 would serve as a predictor of chemotherapeutic outcome in advanced pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine and cisplatin. Twenty one patients, 5 females and 16 males (median age 56 yrs, range 36-71 yrs) suffering from adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreas were analysed. Chemotherapy was applied for a median of 6 courses (range 2-21). Four patients achieved a complete remission, four a partial remission (OR = 38%), while stable disease was documented in 8 and progressive disease in 5 patients. Among 4 CR patients, all demonstrated a significant decline of CA 19-9 levels during the initial three treatment courses with apparent half-lifes of 15, 18, 24, and 33 days. At a cut-off level of 37 U/mL, all CR patients reached normal values in the course of treatment. All patients achieving PR showed a decrease of CA 19-9 values at apparent half-lifes of 9, 16, 88 and 89 days. Among patients with stable disease, CA19-9 transiently decreased in 7/8 patients and remained stable in 1 patient. However, values increased later in all patients after a median of 3 treatment courses (range 2-9). In patients with disease progression, CA 19-9 initially increased in 4/5 patients, while a further patient did so only beyound 100 days of treatment. In conclusion, kinetics of CA19-9 serum concentration may serve as an early indicator of response to gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Apoptosis in serum of patients with solid tumours.

Apoptosis, which occurs in highly proliferating tumours spontaneously or during anticancer therapy, many lead to an elevated concentration of circulating nucleosomes in blood. In order to quantify the concentration of nucleosomes, we used the Cell Death Detectionplus-ELISA (CDDE) (Boehringer Mannheim, Germany) based on antibodies against histone and DNA, adapted it to the demands of liquid materials and standardized test performance and handling of serum. Furthermore, we investigated serum samples of 185 patients with solid tumours (additionally 24, treated with radio- or chemotherapy), 30 with acute inflammations and 50 healthy persons. Many patients with tumours (78%) and inflammations (77%) showed higher concentrations of serum-nucleosomes (> 100 AU), whereas 96% of all healthy persons had low values (< 100 AU). Follow up-studies revealed an early peak after initiation of therapy and correlated to the clinical outcome. The concentration of nucleosomes is a sensitive marker of cell death and could be used for monitoring the efficacy of antitumour therapy.

Apoptosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied