title: CA 15.3 determination in patients with breast cancer: clinical utility for the detection of distant metastases.
abstract: In 81 healthy women, 26 pregnant women, 25 patients with fibrocystic disease and 144 breast cancer patients, the overall diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the CA 15.3 test was 27 and 97%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 93 and 43%. In 150 node-negative patients taking part in a chemoprevention trial CA 15.3 was assayed at baseline and every 4 months for a median follow-up of 24 months (range 4-48). In these patients, 5 had local recurrences, 1 had a regional recurrence, 9 had distant metastases and 3 developed cancer in the contralateral breast. Among the patients with recurrences, those with distant metastases showed the highest ratio of CA 15.3 increase (8/9); in local and regional recurrences, this ratio was lower (2/6). The patients with contralateral breast cancer had no significant increase in CA 15.3. Patients in whom metastases were detected showed an increase in CA 15.3 4-48 months before clinical or instrumental detection of the metastases.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, National Cancer Institute, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bombardieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pizzichetta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seregni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maffioli
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Jotti
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bassetto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zurrida
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor