title: Mucins and Cytokeratins as Serum Tumor Markers in Breast Cancer.
abstract: Structural and functional characteristics of mucins and cytokeratins are shortly described. Thereafter, those commonly used in breast cancer as serum tumor markers are considered. First CA15.3, MCA, CA549, CA27.29 mucins and CYFRA21.1, TPA, TPS cytokeratins alone or in association have been examined in different stages and conditions. Then their usefulness in monitoring disease-free breast cancer patients is evaluated. The central role of the established cut-off and critical change, the "early" treatment of recurrent disease and the potential benefit in survival are other issues that have been highlighted and discussed. The successive sections and subsections deal with the monitoring of advanced disease. In them, the current recommendations and the principal findings on using the above mentioned mucins and cytokeratins have been reported. A computer program for interpreting consecutive measurements of serum tumor markers also has been illustrated. The final part of the chapter is devoted to mucins and cytokeratins as markers of circulating and disseminated tumor cells and their usefulness for prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Transplantations and New Technologies in Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. andrea.nicolini@med.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicolini
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Transplantations and New Technologies in Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National Council of Research, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000097:blood*; D009077:Mucins / Q000097:blood*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009077:Mucins; D007633:Keratins
keywords: Breast cancer; Breast cancer follow-up; CA15.3; CA27.29; CA549; CTCs; CTCs detection; CYFRA21.1; Cytokeratins; Cytokeratins structure; DTCs; DTCs detection; MCA; Mucins; Mucins and cytokeratins; Mucins structure; Serum TMs; TPA; TPS