Evaluation of serum sialic acid, heat stable alkaline phosphatase and fucose as markers of breast carcinoma.

Serum levels of total sialic acid (TSA), lipid bound sialic acid (LSA), heat stable alkaline phosphatase (HSAP) and fucose were measured in 39 patients with breast carcinoma, 14 patients with benign breast diseases and 35 healthy female individuals. Elevated levels of the four biomarkers in breast carcinoma were significant when compared with controls (p less than 0.001). Fucose levels were most sensitive (71.8%), while TSA levels were most specific (64.3%) for breast carcinoma. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% when combinations of LSA with fucose and TSA with HSAP were studied respectively. LSA was significantly elevated in infiltrating duct carcinoma patients compared with lobular carcinoma (p less than 0.001). TSA, HSAP and fucose also had lower mean values in lobular carcinoma as compared to infiltrating duct carcinoma. Increase in the levels of LSA and HSAP after surgical removal of the tumor in breast carcinoma occurred prior to the clinical evidence of the recurrence. The results indicate that the combination of the markers studied might be useful in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring.