[Serum proteins in patients with recently discovered cancer in the oral cavity/throat. What experiences were gained by measurements of concentration and electrophoresis?].

84 patients with cancer of the upper digestive tract and 89 matched controls were examined. Lower than normal albumin concentrations were observed with an odds ratio for disease of 14 (95% confidence interval 4.5-46). Among the patients, low concentrations of serum total protein and albumin were also associated with a higher risk of dying. An essential finding was an electrophoretic serum pattern of "active process" without the production of gammaglobulins occurring in about half of the patients. This observation, when lasting for several months, seems to indicate a possible malignancy. However, one fifth of the patients had normal electrophoresis. On the other hand, 15% of the controls also had an "active process" pattern-with or without the production of immunoglobulins. With regard to the participants' patient-versus-control status, the electrophoretic serum protein pattern was of greater predictive importance than information concerning high or low erythrocyte sedimentation rate.