title: Determination of serum tumor markers TPS and CA 15-3 during monitoring of treatment in metastatic breast cancer patients.
abstract: Serum levels of tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS), a cytokeratin 18 marker, and CA 15-3 were determined in 42 patients with metastatic breast cancer during routine treatment follow-up. At the time of proved metastatic disease, 86% of the values for TPS were above the upper reference value as compared to 93% for CA 15-3. The combined use of TPS and CA 15-3 increased the overall sensitivity. The levels of the tumor markers followed the course of disease during a follow-up period of 6-10 months, even though the dynamics of the changes of tumor markers levels differed in some patients. An increase in the tumor marker level of 25% or more was seen in 60% (TPS) and 52% (CA 15-3), respectively of the studied patients. TPS appeared to indicate changes faster than CA 15-3. The overall results of this study suggest the combined use of TPS and CA 15-3 in the monitoring of breast cancer patients is preferable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Martini Ziekenhuis, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Schuurman
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bong
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Einarsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018396:Mucin-1; D010455:Peptides; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen