title: Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM) in Saudi Breast Cancer Patients as Prognostic and Predictive Indicator.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecules (ALCAMs) play an essential role in tumor metastasis and are higher in some patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate ALCAM as an early diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer and how it compares with other markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and sixty-one women were selected for this study. They were divided into three groups: Group 1 consisted of 42 healthy individuals (control) while a patients groups divided into two groups according to tumour grade, Group II, Include 58 breast cancer patient's grade II and Group III, Include 61 patients with grade III of breast cancer. Tumour markers CEA, CA 15-3 and s ALCAM levels were determined and Group 2 consisted of breast cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A highly significant elevation was recorded in s ALCAM, CA 15-3 and CEA. Percent change for grade II and grade III were [sALCAM (90, 127)], [CA15-3 (40, 72)] and [CEA (33, 156)]. Operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the biomarkers ALCAM, CA15-3 and CEA with area under the curve (AUC) of (0.99 & 1.0) (AUC 0.947 & 0.99) and (AUC 0.88 & 0.94) for grade II and grade III respectively the incremental values of AUC were statistically highly significant (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It could be concluded that serum ALCAM concentration represents a suitable biomarker for Saudi arabian breast carcinoma with high sensitivity and has the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool comparable to CA15-3 and CEA.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Biochemistry, Science College, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Fawziah S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Al-Shehri
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Eman M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Abd El Azeem
keywords: activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecules; breast; carbohydrate antigen; carcinoembryonic antigen; carcinoma