title: Serum levels of CEA and CA15-3 in different molecular subtypes and prognostic value in Chinese breast cancer.
abstract: The prognostic significance of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) levels in breast cancer is controversial. This study evaluated the prognostic value of preoperative serum CEA and CA15-3 levels in Chinese breast cancer patients. A total of 470 patients with breast cancer had preoperative CEA and CA15-3 concentrations measured. The relationships between preoperative concentration and clinicopathological factors and outcomes were determined. CEA and CA15-3 levels were increased in 34 (7.2%) and 58 (12.3%) patients, respectively. Elevations of serum CEA and CA-15-3 levels correlated with the primary tumor size and axillary lymph node status. CEA levels were lower in patients with triple-negative breast cancer than in those with other subtypes (P = 0.002). The 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) of CEA-negative vs. CEA-positive patients were 84.1% vs. 54.5% (P < 0.001), 82.7% vs. 54.8% (P < 0.001), and 89.7% vs. 78.5% (P = 0.007), respectively. The 5-year DMFS, DFS, and OS of CA15-3-negative vs. CA15-3-positive patients were 84.0% vs. 69.6% (P = 0.002), 83.0% vs. 66.2% (P < 0.001), 90.9% vs. 74.2% (P = 0.005), respectively. Multivariate analysis of prognosis indicated that CEA and CA15-3 levels were independent prognostic factors for DMFS (P = 0.021) and DFS (P = 0.032), and DFS (P = 0.014) and OS (P = 0.032), respectively. Serum levels of CEA and CA15-3 may differ in breast cancer molecular subtypes and preoperative levels of CEA and CA15-3 have a significant effect on prognosis in Chinese women with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: San-gang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhen-yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Cancer Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jia-yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feng-yan
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: hecunzhang@163.com.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: hezhy@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Huan-xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D018396:Mucin-1
keywords: Breast cancer; CA15-3; CEA; Prognosis