OBJECTIVE: The significance of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 15-3 in monitoring advanced breast cancer is still controversial. To clarify this issue, the Tumor Marker Study Group of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society conducted a large-scaled retrospective study. METHODS: The findings from four clinical trials and seven institutes of 528 patients with advanced breast cancer were collected. Three-hundred forty-eight patients, in whom both serum CEA and CA 15-3 were measured during therapy, were selected for analysis. RESULTS: The pretreatment positivity rate of CA 15-3 was significantly higher than that of CEA (p<0.0001). Time-to-progression (TTP) in CEA- and CA 15-3-positive patients was significantly shorter than TTP in negative patients. The changes in either marker level correlated well with response to therapy in marker-positive patients but not in negative patients. TTP in the marker-positive patients with a greater than 20%-reduction in either marker level during therapy was significantly longer than that in positive patients without such a reduction (p<0.01 for CEA and CA 15-3). CONCLUSION: CA 15-3 is more useful for monitoring advanced breast cancer than CEA and a greater than 20%-reduction in marker levels suggests longer TTP in pretreatment marker-positive patients.
OBJECTIVE: The significance of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 15-3 in monitoring advanced breast cancer is still controversial. To clarify this issue, the Tumor Marker Study Group of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society conducted a large-scaled retrospective study. METHODS: The findings from four clinical trials and seven institutes of 528 patients with advanced breast cancer were collected. Three-hundred forty-eight patients, in whom both serum CEA and CA 15-3 were measured during therapy, were selected for analysis. RESULTS: The pretreatment positivity rate of CA 15-3 was significantly higher than that of CEA (p<0.0001). Time-to-progression (TTP) in CEA- and CA 15-3-positive patients was significantly shorter than TTP in negative patients. The changes in either marker level correlated well with response to therapy in marker-positive patients but not in negative patients. TTP in the marker-positive patients with a greater than 20%-reduction in either marker level during therapy was significantly longer than that in positive patients without such a reduction (p<0.01 for CEA and CA 15-3). CONCLUSION:CA 15-3 is more useful for monitoring advanced breast cancer than CEA and a greater than 20%-reduction in marker levels suggests longer TTP in pretreatment marker-positive patients.
Authors: Anne F Schott; William E Barlow; Kathy S Albain; Helen K Chew; James L Wade; Keith S Lanier; Danika L Lew; Daniel F Hayes; Julie R Gralow; Robert B Livingston; Gabriel N Hortobagyi Journal: Oncologist Date: 2012-01-20
Authors: Siwei Wei; Lingyan Liu; Jian Zhang; Jeremiah Bowers; G A Nagana Gowda; Harald Seeger; Tanja Fehm; Hans J Neubauer; Ulrich Vogel; Susan E Clare; Daniel Raftery Journal: Mol Oncol Date: 2012-10-25 Impact factor: 6.603