[Changes in hematoporphyrin in patients with gastric and hepatic carcinoma and their clinical significance].

The fluorescence spectroscopy of porphyrin molecule in blood was determined with photoluminescence fluorescence spectroscope in 139 patients with gastric carcinoma, 76 with hepatic carcinoma, 110 with gastric ulcer and chronic gastritis, 168 with liver cirrhosis and 33 normals as controls. The results showed that the peaks of Zinc porphyrin and protoporphyrin in patients with cancer were significantly higher than those in patients with benign disease, the peak of protoporphyrin being two to three times higher in the former groups of patients than that in the latter (P < 0.01). Protoporphyrin could be used as a marker to screen and diagnose gastric and hepatic carcinoma.