Polypeptide antigen of cancer cell membrane

The specific antigen of the cancer cell polypeptide (TPS) and the antigen of the cancer cell membrane polypeptide (TPA) are produced under physiological conditions by the trophoblast of the placenta, liver, lungs, intestines and kidneys of the developing fetus. They are also found in most epithelial cells, in tumor cell membranes, and in blood serum. It is a proliferative antigen.

The main indications for the test of TPS are monitoring of uterus cancer (primarily cervical) and polymorphocellular lung cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of the method were 36 and 90%, respectively. Due to the low sensitivity, the test is not used in the primary diagnosis of lung cancer. High levels of TPS and TPA before treatment of non-small cell lung cancer may predict a low sensitivity of the tumor to chemotherapy and an unfavorable prognosis of the disease. 

According to a number of researchers, the study of TPS and herbs in the blood serum of patients with non-small cell lung cancer allows us to assess the stage of the disease, the histological variant of the tumor, the possibilities of radical and non-radical resection of the tumor with a fairly high probability.