Evolution of the concept of Tumor Marker: a historical overview: History of Tumor Markers

History of Tumor Markers

Abstract

Tumor markers are biochemical entitities potentially related to the presence of neoplastic diseases in humans. The history of the discovery and development of tumor markers (TuMa) goes back to the last hundred years, yet the first to be described dates back to 1848, when H. Bence Jones reported a protein associated with the presence of multiple myeloma.

In the twentieth century between the twenties and thirties a number of TuMa were identified, among others ectopic hormones (1928), human chorionic gonadotropin (1930), and prostatic acid phosphatase (1933).

In the sixties the first immunometric dosages became available and the study of tumor markers became more organic, while in the seventies the first monoclonal antibodies were developed.

In the eighties mucinic markers (eg., cancer antigen 125 in 1981 and cancer antigen 15-3 in 1984) appeared and the idea gained ground that tumor markers were minimally invasive, as well as relatively low-cost tools to monitor neoplastic diseases.

In the nineties there was an ulterior diffusion of tumoral markers, due to increased public sensitivity regarding neoplastic diseases, though, at the end of the twentieth century the overall low specificity of TuMa in the diagnostic phase of neoplastic diseases emerged.

The recent comprehension of the variety of non-oncologic causes capable of modifying the quantitative level of tumor markers has led to the current views on TuMa, indicating that they should not be used as stand-alone parameters in the diagnosis of malignancy, but rather that they should be considered complementary tools in the entire management of cancer.