Overview of oncofetal antigens in cancer

Oncofetal antigens are substances which are produced by tumors and also by fetal tissues but they are produced in much lower concentration by adult tissues. The oncofetal antigens which have been identified are reviewed. The relevance of alpha - 1 - fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in neoplastic disease are summarized. Elevated serum concentrations of AFP have been principally associated with primary liver cell cancer (82 percent) and with ovarian and testicular tumors which contain yolk sac tumor cell elements. Quantitation of the serum concentration of CEA can be used as an adjunct for the diagnosis and staging of colon cancer patients and for the post operative follow up of patients for tumor recurrence. The possible role that mouse monoclonal antibodies will play in the characterization of oncofetal antigens is reviewed. Some of the difficulties which may arise when mouse monoclonal antibodies are used to define clinically relevant oncofetal antigens are reviewed.