Objective: To determine the application of serum thymidine kinase 1 (STK1) in general health screening for early detection of premalignant/early malignant tumors.
Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in 26 055 health screenings from 8 centers of Changsha in 2011. The concentration of STK1 was determined by a sensitive chemiluminescent dot blot ECL assay.
Results: In the elevated STK1 group 60.35% showed diseases with a higher risk of premalignant/ early cancerous progression. The positive rate of elevated STK1 (>2.0 pmol/L) was 2.61%. There was a significantly higher rate with moderate/severe type of hyperplasia of breasts and prostate with elevated STK1 than people with normal STK1 values.
Conclusion: STK1 may be a reliable marker for risk assessment of premalignant/early malignant tumors.