The Importance of Evaluating Serum Levels of Tumor Markers M2-PK and Inhibin A in Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy

Despite the use of colonoscopy to detect colon cancer due to its aggressiveness, high cost, and lack of patient compliance, the use of laboratory tests with high accuracy and sensitivity, such as tumor marker M2-PK and Inhibin A is recommended and can be effective for early diagnosis and screening of patients in the early stages. We studied 46 patients admitted it the gastrointestinal ward of Amir al Momenin Hospital and 45 normal (age and sex-matched) subjects as a control group (case-control and retrospective studies). Before the colonoscopy, the level of tumor marker M2-PK in the stool sample and the serum level of Inhibin A were evaluated in patients and the control group. The level of tumor marker M2-PK was significantly higher in the group with hyperplastic polyps and colon cancer (P < .001) than in the control group. At the same time, there was no significant difference in Inhibin A level (P = .054). In the hyperplastic polyps group 73% and in the colorectal cancer group 27% had a positive immunochemical fecal occult blood (IFOBT) result, significantly higher than the control group (P < .001). Evaluation of the level of tumor marker M2-PK in the stool sample in association with the three-time iFOBT test method may be suggested as a quick and noninvasive method for screening and diagnosis of polyps and early stages of colon cancer.