We evaluated the clinical usefulness of the squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) and CA 125, serum markers of epithelial cancer cells, in comparison with the serum concentration and tissue distribution of the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), a marker of connective tissue metabolism, in 31 patients with vulvar carcinoma. The SCC concentration was increased in 42%, that of CA 125 in 14% and that of PIIINP in 36% of the cases. The combination of SCC and PIIINP increased the detection rate to 57% and that of all three to 64%. None of the tumor markers correlated with the clinical stage of the disease. The initial values of the serum markers did not discriminate between different patterns of the clinical behavior of the disease. Six patients were followed with serial determinations of the markers. In each case at least one of the markers correlated with the clinical course of the disease. SCC did so in 5 cases, PIIINP in 3 cases and CA 125 in 2 cases. The mean concentrations of SCC and CA 125, but not that of PIIINP, were significantly lower during the periods of response to therapy than during the nonresponsive periods. Immunohistochemistry of PIIINP showed vulvar carcinoma to be associated with a distinct collagenous stroma. In the junctional area of the stroma around the malignant epithelium, the PIIINP positive fibers grew more sparse and irregular with decreasing differentiation of the tumor. The present data suggest that SCC, CA 125 and PIIINP are useful, especially SCC, in monitoring the clinical behaviour of the advanced vulvar cancer, less so in predicting its prognosis.

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