AIM: To assess the clinical value of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCAg) in anal cancer for chemoradiotherapy (CRT) patients.PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 24 patients with SCC of the anus, SCCAg was determined before CRT and at every follow-up visit.RESULTS: 16/24 (66.7%) had normal SCCAg and 11/16 (68.8%) achieved complete remission (CR), while 7/8 (87.5%) with elevated SCCAg achieved CR. In two patients, elevated SCCAg was observed after radiotherapy. One was false-positive and one was true-positive leading to diagnosis of metachronous recurrent and metastatic disease after interim CR.CONCLUSION: SCCAg was inappropriate to predict the clinical outcome but can provide additional information on the regular follow-up examinations to detect a relapse.
Adult Aged