TISSUE CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN AND ESTROGEN-RECEPTOR STATUS IN BREAST-CARCINOMA - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF CLINICAL OUTCOME IN A SERIES OF 252 PATIENTS WITH LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a well-known tumour marker whose imm unohistochemical expression could be prognostically relevant in breast carcinomas. We evaluated CEA immunohistochemical expression, using th e specific T84.66 monoclonal antibody, in a series of 252 consecutive cases of infiltrating breast carcinomas (104 NO, 148 N1/2) with median follow-up of 84 months. Oestrogen receptor (ER) status has been evalu ated with the immunohistochemical method (ER1D5 antibody, 10% cut-off value): 121 cases were ER negative, 128 cases were ER positive and in three cases ER status was unknown. CEA staining was cytoplasmic; stain ing intensity and percentage of reacting cells were combined to obtain a final score (CEA score). The difference between the distribution of CEA score within the modalities of the other variables was not statis tically significant. Univariate survival analysis has been performed o n the series of node-negative and node-positive patients. In the latte r subgroup, this has been performed separately for patients treated wi th systemic adjuvant hormonal therapy or chemotherapy. A multivariate analysis was only performed for node-positive patients treated with ad juvant therapy. CEA immunoreactivity was not prognostically relevant i n any subset of analysed patients. The most important prognostic marke rs were nodal status and tumour size.