Klin Onkol 1989; 2(4): 109-112.
α-lactalbumin (aLA), a specific protein of human milk, was followed-up in serum of 1560 patients with breast cancer in three months intervals for more than 3 years. We found that the serum aLA level did not change substantially during the course of the disease. Significant changes were not observed even in the case of tumor progression; the incidence of elevated serum aLA values in patients with verified metastases reached in average 14%. We measured also aLA level in 104 women before and after mastectomy; substantial changes were found in 22% of patients. The possible causes of discrepancy between verified content of aLA in primary tumors and physiological serum concentration in these patients are discussed.
