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  • Title: Serum tumor markers in metastatic breast cancer and course of disease.
    Author: Caffier H, Brandau H.
    Journal: Cancer Detect Prev; 1983; 6(4-5):451-7. PubMed ID: 6197167.
    Abstract:
    The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic significance of serum tumor markers in metastatic breast cancer and to evaluate their usefulness in monitoring palliative treatment. One hundred sixty-two breast cancer patients with various disease involvement have been followed-up by serum beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-HCG), alkaline phosphatase (AP), phosphohexose isomerase (PHI), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) analysis for 6 to 29 months. In metastatic disease, rates of elevated tumor marker levels ranging between 44% and 91% were found except for beta-HCG (13%). The low rate of positive beta-HCG values did not suggest that routine estimation may be useful. For the other markers, differences in positive rates were seen when site of metastasis, tumor burden, tumor activity, and stage of disease were taken into account. CEA and TPA were shown to be more sensitive indicators for metastatic disease than AP and PHI. TPA was more sensitive but less specific than CEA; both provided almost identical discrimination. In monitoring palliative treatment, a close correlation was found between the clinical course and changes of CEA. AP and PHI frequently became elevated only in very advanced disease, their elevation supported the clinical evidence of progression.
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