title: Prospective evaluation of CEA and CA 15.3 in patients with locoregional breast cancer.
abstract: The tumor markers, CEA and CA 15.3, were prospectively studied in the sera of 1057 untreated patients with locoregional breast cancer diagnosed from 1983 to 2001. Abnormal CEA and CA 15.3 serum levels were found in 13% and 18.8% of the patients, respectively. One tumor marker or another was abnormal in 22.8% of the patients. Both tumor markers were correlated with tumor size and nodal involvement, with significantly higher concentrations in patients with larger tumors or in patients with nodal involvement. CEA was also related to the histological type and CA 15.3 with the histological grade. Univariate prognostic evaluation showed that tumor size, nodal involvement, histological grade, steroid receptors, adjuvant treatment, CEA, CA 15.3 and treatment before surgery were prognostic factors in both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Similar results were obtained in node-positive patients, with the same factors being prognostic, excluding adjuvant treatment and CA 15.3, in both DFS and OS. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size, nodal involvement, histological grade, ER and CEA were independent prognostic factors in both DFS and OS in the whole group as well as in node-positive patients. In contrast, tumor size was the only useful parameter in the prognosis of node-negative patients. CA 15.3 was useful for prognosis (OS) in node-negative patients. In summary, tumor markers are useful tools in the prognostic evaluation of patients with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry (Unit for Cancer Research), Hospital Clinic, Medical School, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain. Rmolina@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Filella
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alicarte
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pahisa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munoz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farrus
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ballesta
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018396:Mucin-1; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone