Alkaline Phosphatase in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Serum alkaline phosphatase is often elevated in patients with colorectal cancer without liver metastases. The enzyme activity in tissue homogenates was 2-3 times higher in tumours than in the surrounding mucosa in 18 patients with colonic or rectal cancer. There was no correlation between the enzyme activities in tumour and serum, no postoperative fall in serum levels, and no difference between enzyme activities in blood draining tumours, blood draining normal segments of colon, and blood from peripheral vessels. The scrum levels of alkaline phosphatase do not appear to be influenced by the enzyme production in the cancer tissue.

Key-words:

• Alkaline phosphatase, analysis
• alkaline phosphatase, blood
• colonic neoplasms
• enzyme tests
• neoplasms, enzymology
• rectal neoplasms