Biological markers in breast carcinoma. I. Incidence of abnormalities of CEA, HCG, three polyamines, and three minor nucleosides.

Patients with breast carcinoma were screened for abnormal concentrations of CEA, HCG, putrescine, spermidine, spermine, pseudouridine, N2, N2-dimethylguanosine, and 1-methylinosine. Abnormal polyamine levels occurred in less than 15% of the patients. Among the nucleosides, N2, N2-dimethylguanosine was the most frequently abnormal, occurring in 57% of the patients with metastatic disease. CEA levels were abnormal in 30% of postoperative N+ patients and 74% of patients with metastatic disease, while HCG elevations were found in 45% and 50%, respectively. All the patients with one or more marker abnormalities could be detected by measuring only CEA, N2, N2-dimethylguanosine, and HCG. Among these three tests, a singular marker abnormality occurred in 35.8% of the patients, and all three tests were abnormal in 21.8% of the patients. The performance of these three tests in each patient revealed one or more abnormalities 97% of the patients with metastatic disease, and 67% of the postoperative N+ patients.