Evaluation of the B-protein assay in cancer management.

Previous data have suggested that the B-protein assay might prove to be useful in the assessment of patients with cancer after various therapeutic modalities. The assay's effectiveness was evaluated by prospective study of 133 patients with cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancer. After therapy, B-protein levels remained elevated in 17 nonresponding patients who eventually died of the disease. In contrast, 88 patients experienced a significant reduction in B-protein levels measured 90 days after treatment. Among this group, 25 patients demonstrated elevated B-protein levels during the 2-year follow-up period and all were confirmed to have persistent or recurrent disease. These data indicate that monitoring serum B-protein levels can be beneficial in the posttherapeutic management of gynecologic malignancies.