Description
Use: LASA is a useful adjunct in the management of a variety of malignancies. It is generally used in conjunction with other tumor markers.
Limitations: This procedure may be considered by Medicare and other carriers as investigational and, therefore, may not be payable as a covered benefit for patients.
Special Instructions: Values obtained with different assay methods should not be used interchangeably in serial testing. It is recommended that only one assay method be used consistently to monitor each patient's course of therapy. This procedure does not provide serial monitoring; it is intended for one-time use only. If serial monitoring is required, please seek another assay which will provide better serial monitoring.
Additional Information: Elevations in blood LASA levels have been reported in patients with mammary (63%), gastroenteric (65%), pulmonary (79%), and ovarian (94%) neoplasms as well as those with leukemia (86%), lymphoma (87%), melanoma (84%), sarcoma (97%), and Hodgkin disease (91%). LASA levels can also be elevated in patients with certain benign diseases, including inflammatory disorders. Thus, like carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), the assay for LASA does not have the specificity or sensitivity necessary for cancer detection. However, recent studies have suggested that LASA levels may be useful in monitoring the course of therapy and detecting disease recurrence in certain cancer patients. In patients with mammary, ovarian, or colorectal neoplasms, a correlation has been found between LASA concentrations and therapeutic responses. Measurement of pre- and post-treatment LASA levels is advocated for determining a baseline for therapeutic monitoring. The combination of LASA and CEA measurements in patients with mammary, colorectal, or pulmonary cancer, and LASA and cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) measurements in those with ovarian cancer may improve the accuracy of assessing therapeutic responses. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that LASA concentrations are indicative of disease status in patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or cancer of the breast, ovary, or colorectum.