PROGNOSTIC VALUE IN PREDICTING OVERALL SURVIVAL OF 2 MUCINOUS MARKERS- CA-15-3 AND CA-125 IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS AT FIRST RELAPSE OF DISEASE

The role of circulating tumour markers in providing prognostic informa tion has been scarcely studied. We evaluated the prognostic significan ce of two mucinous markers: CA 15-3 and CA 125 in 115 breast cancer pa tients at first recurrence of disease. At diagnosis of advanced diseas e bone involvement was found in 64 patients, lung in 57, skin lymph no des in 21, liver in 20, and brain in 5. Patients were recruited and tr eated in the same institution with conventional chemo- or endocrine th erapy. The follow-up ranged from 3 to 54+ months (median 35). Serum sa mples were drawn at first recurrence of disease before the start of an y endocrine and/or chemotherapy. Patients with CA 15-3 <30 U/ml surviv ed significantly longer than those with CA 15-3 >30 U/ml (median 50+ v ersus 26 months, P<0.02). Similarly, overall survival of patients with CA 125 <35 U/ml was significantly higher in comparison with patients with CA 125 >35 U/ml (median 34.5 versus 18.5 months, P<0.001). 64 125 , but not CA 15-3, maintained its prognostic value in the subgroup of patients with visceral metastases. Bath markers were found to be indep endent prognostic variables in multivariate analysis according to Cox' s model. CA 15-3 and CA 125 appeared to be powerful prognostic indicat ors, in addition to visceral metastases, in patients with advanced bre ast cancer.