SCCA-IgM in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization: gender-related differences.
Filippo PelizzaroFederica SoldàRomilda CardinAngela ImondiAnna SartoriBarbara PenzoAmbra SammarcoCamillo AlibertiAlessandro VitaleUmberto CilloFabio FarinatiPublished in: Biomarkers in medicine (2020)
Aim: Squamous cell carcinoma antigen immune complexed with immunoglobulin M (SCCA-IgM) is a useful but not completely satisfactory biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Considering its gender-specific behavior in preclinical models, we investigated gender-related differences of SCCA-IgM as a prognostic marker in HCC. Patients & methods: Two hundred and eight prospectively recruited patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization in a single tertiary care hospital were retrospectively evaluated. Correlations between SCCA-IgM levels, clinical characteristics and survival were assessed according to gender. Results: When the disease was advanced, SCCA-IgM was higher in males and lower in females. Levels below 130 AU/ml predicted a significantly longer survival in males (p = 0.007) and a shorter survival in females (p = 0.01). Conclusion: In predicting the prognosis of HCC patients, the interpretation of SCCA-IgM should consider gender as a relevant variable.
Keyphrases
- squamous cell carcinoma
- end stage renal disease
- mental health
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- tertiary care
- healthcare
- radiofrequency ablation
- prognostic factors
- peritoneal dialysis
- radiation therapy
- stem cells
- patient reported outcomes
- mesenchymal stem cells
- gold nanoparticles
- bone marrow
- patient reported
- lymph node metastasis
- quantum dots
- acute care
- liver metastases