Utility of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels at the time of recurrent cervical cancer diagnosis in determining the optimal treatment choice

To investigate the utility of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) levels upon the diagnosis of recurrent cervical cancer for decision making in patient management. Clinical records from 167 cervical cancer patients who developed recurrence between April 1996 and September 2010 were reviewed. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to investigate the prognostic significance of serum SCC-Ag levels at the time of recurrence. The effects of various salvage treatments on survival outcomes of recurrent cervical cancer were examined with respect to serum SCC-Ag levels. Serum SCC-Ag levels were elevated (>2.0 ng/mL) in 125 patients (75%) when recurrence was diagnosed. These patients exhibited significantly shorter postrecurrence survival than those with normal SCC-Ag levels (log-rank; p=0.033). Multivariate analyses revealed that an elevated serum SCC-Ag level was an independent prognostic factor for poor postrecurrence survival. In patients with SCC-Ag levels