Significance of polyamine measurements in urine in carcinogenesis of endocrine glands.

Polyamines, polycationic compounds found in urine and sera of mammals, are elevated in patients with malignancies. Like carcinoembryonic antigen, these organic structures have been investigated as potential diagnostic tools in screening at-risk individuals for cancer and for predicting prognosis. In many instances, the ubiquity of these compounds and the lack of specificity for each malignancy have negated their usefulness. Recently, investigations have included some of the endocrine carcinomas and the relationships of urine or serum polyamine measurements. This article indicates the preliminary work that has been done and future directions for the significance of polyamine measurements in urine in carcinogenesis of the endocrine glands.