HCC Biomarkers GASL
HCC biomarkers AFP-L3% and DCP by Wako evaluated for the first time in Germany
At the annual congress of the German Association for the Study of the Liver (GASL) in January 2009 in Heidelberg, researchers from the University Hospitals Essen and Mainz presented first study results about the HCC biomarkers AFP-L3% und DCP.
Dr. J. Ertle and colleagues of the University Hospital of Essen and the Evangelic Clinic Muelheim/Ruhr investigated 129 patients with proven HCC. In only 38,8% of the patients AFP was elevated > 20 ng/ml and only in 20,0% of the cases > 200 ng/ml. DCP was in the pathological range (above 7,5 ng/ml) in 44,2% of the patients. The determination of all three markers resulted in an increased total diagnostic sensitivity of 65%. The authors concluded that the determination of the AFP-L3 fraction of total AFP and in particular the measurement of DCP seems to be meaningful also in patients from the European region.
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Dr. H. Schulze-Bergkamen and colleagues from the University Hospital of Mainz determined AFP, AFP-L3% and DCP in 32 patients receiving sorafenib treatment. Before the treatment, all three HCC biomarkers were elevated in 14 of 32 patients (44%). The calculated Disease Control Rate (DCR) for the total cohort was 35% after 3-4 months of therapy. Disease Control Rate was 100% in patients with no increase of AFP-L3% and DCP. Patients with increased DCP during therapy had shorter survival time compared to those with constant or decreased DCP. The authors concluded that monitoring of AFP, AFP-L3% and DCP in serum may provide a readily available marker combination to assess response to sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC.
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