title: Prognostic role of serum CA15.3 in 362 node-negative breast cancers. An old player for a new game.
abstract: The aims of the present investigation were to evaluate the association between serum CA15.3 levels and other biological and clinical variables and its prognostic role in patients with node-negative breast cancer. We evaluated 362 patients operated upon primary breast cancer from 1982 to 1992 (median follow-up 69 months). Serum CA15.3 was measured by an immunoradiometric assay. The association between variables was investigated by a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the prognostic role of CA15.3 on relapse-free survival (RFS) was investigated by Cox regression models adjusting for age, oestrogen receptor (ER), tumour stage, and ER x age interaction, with both the likelihood ratio test and Harrell's c statistic. The prognostic contribution of CA 15.3 was highly significant. Log relative hazard of relapse was constant until approximately 10 (U/ml) of CA15.3 and increased thereafter with increasing marker levels. CA15.3 showed a significant contribution using as a cut-off point a value of 31 U/ml. However, the contribution to the model of the marker as a continuous variable is much greater. From these findings, we can conclude that: (i) CA15.3 is a prognostic marker in node-negative breast cancer; (ii) its relationship with prognosis is continuous, with the risk of relapse increasing progressively from approximately 10 U/ml.
authors.affiliation: Centro Regionale per lo Studio degli Indicatori Biochimici di Tumore, Ospedale Civile, ULSS12 Venice, Italy. cnabo@provincia.venezia.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gion
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boracchi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dittadi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biganzoli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peloso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mione
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paccagnella
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marubini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D018396:Mucin-1; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen