title: Clinical value of a mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen in monitoring breast cancer patients in comparison with CA 15-3.
abstract: A new tumour marker, mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA), was evaluated in 176 breast cancer patients classified either as free of tumour (NED, n = 141) or as having metastases (PD, n = 35). During the 5 year follow-up, 842 measurements of MCA and 363 measurements of CA 15-3 were done. MCA levels were significantly increased in the PD group (P = 0.0001) but not in the NED group. The sensitivities of the MCA and the CA 15-3 assays were 84% and 78% and the specificities were 81% and 78%, respectively. The negative predictive value of 97% for MCA was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) than the 88% for CA 15-3. Thus the MCA enzyme immunoassay is at least equivalent to the CA 15-3 test and is recommended in the assessment of metastatic spread or tumour recurrence in breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Miserez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Günes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller-Brand
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fridrich
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mäcke
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C057387:mucinous carcinoma-associated antigen