Comparison of Serum β2-Microglobulin and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in the Follow-Up of Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Staab, Ahlemann, Anderer, Hiesche and Rodatz: Serum 02-microglobulin and carcinoembryonic antigen in breast cancer pat icnts 339 J. Clin. Chem. Clin. Biochem. Vol. 19, 1981, pp. 339-345 Summary: Using commercially available radioimmune test kits, serial determinations of serum j32-microglobulin and CEA were performed in 337 patients, who had been treated for breast cancer by modified radical mastectomy and radiotherapy. The pre-therapeutic data indicated a higher incidence of pathological j32-microglobulin and CEA levels in patients with distant metastases than in patients with localized disease. However, this finding did not allow the conclusion of a direct complementarity of j32-microglobulin and CEA as tumour markers, since the group of patients with distant metastasis contained a high percentage of elderly patients who generally can be expected to have elevated 02-microglobulin serum concentrations. Therefore, the correlation of the clinical course of malignant disease and the incidence of relapses with the changes of serum |32-microglobulin and CEA concentrations was examined during the posMreatment surveillance: 7/9 cases (78%) with local recurrence and 46/73 cases (63%) with distant spread of disease were not indicated in the |32-microglobulin follow-up by pathologic serum concentrations, whereas in the CEA follow-up only 1/9 and 2/73 false negative indications were registered. The poor correlation suggests that serum 02-microglobulin is not directly tumour associated in breast cancer and does not fulfill the criteria of a tumour marker. Comparison of Serum ß2-Microglobulin and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in the Follow-Up of Breast Cancer Patients Vergleich von Serum ß2?Mikroglobulin und CEA in der klinischen Überwachung von Patienten mit Brustkrebs