Prognosis in Breast Carcinoma Utilizing Plasma Carcinoembryonic Antigen and Histologic Characteristics of the Primary Tumor

Abstract

Plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentrations in 128 patients with breast cancer were measured preoperatively. The data were related to the histologic features of the primary breast carcinoma and to the clinical follow-up data. Analysis of the plasma CEA values did not show a significant correlation with the histologic type and the histologic and nuclear grade of the primary tumor (n = 73) as well as to the presence or absence of keratin, necrosis, desmoplasia, tubule formation and mucin production. Furthermore, the results indicated that high CEA values (more than 10 ng/ml) may be associated with distant metastases and not with the metastatic spread to lymph nodes. High CEA levels were also associated with reduced survival of the patients. This study confirms our previous report suggesting that high CEA levels are correlated with tumors of endodermal origin, whereas the CEA levels were within the normal range in the tumors of ectodermal origin. In agreement with other studies, however, it was found that the predictive value of plasma CEA concentrations in general is weak, so that the use of CEA measurement for prognosis is of limited value.

Plasma prolactin as an indicator of disease progression in advanced breast cancer

“…Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is helpful in a very small percentage of such patients. 22 Thus, serial prolactin measurements may be a more sensitive indicator for assessing a response. Serial estimations of rising prolactin values are useful in the early diagnosis of progressive disease.…”

Pre-Operative Tumour Marker Levels in Patients with Breast Cancer and Their Prognosis

“…mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA), and some preliminary data were published [11][12][13]. Very recently, we described the results of the determination of CEA, TPA, CA 15-3 and MCA mainly in the follow-up and monitoring of therapy in pa tients with breast cancer [14], Less informa tion is available regarding the prognostic value of elevated marker levels at the pre operative stage [15][16][17], Most studies are hampered by adjuvant chemotherapy or ad juvant hormonal therapy in the post-opera tive period. For the first time, we report the results of a prospective study in 99 patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy other than locorégional radiotherapy.…”