Tumor markers in the process of radiotherapy of patients with prostate cancer

Abstract

Purpose of the work – to assess the level of tumor markers in the blood of patients with prostate cancer (PC) in the course of their radiation therapy (RT). Material and methods. The study included 195 men with prostate cancer aged 52 to 82 years. The duration from the moment of diagnosis of the disease was 3 years on average. The Gleason score parameters averaged 6 points, the ratio of peripheral to central tumor form was 3: 1, adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 94% of the cases, and giant cell carcinoma – in 6%. The average tumor stage parameter was 3 relative units, maturity was 3 points. Blood levels of testosterone (TS), luteinizing hormone (LT), insulin-like growth factor 1 (ISF), alkaline phosphatase (AP), acid prostatic phosphatase (APP) and glycosyl hydrolase (GH) activities were evaluated.Results. An increase in the level of tumor markers is observed in 50% - 100% of the patients, which depends on the expansion, size, localization, stage and degree of differentiation of the tumor process, the nature of its metastasis to the lymph nodes, distant organs and skeleton. Radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer has an effect on integral changes in tumor markers, in particular, on the restoration of blood PSA parameters and APP activity; moreover, in the group of examined patients with an early initiation of RT after prostatectomy, positive changes in the studied parameters are more significant, do not depend on the expansion, size, and the degree of maturity of the neoplasm, but the nature of the dynamics of the levels of PSA, APP and ISF is closely related to the initial indicator of the severity of the tumor process course.Conclusion. The study of the level of tumor markers in the blood will have clinical and prognostic significance for assessing the efficacy of treatment of a tumor process, and contribute to the development of criteria for diagnosing complications of radiation therapy.