Long-term follow-up study in breast cancer patients using serum tumor markers CEA and CA 15-3

The aim of this study was to evaluate CEA and CA 15-3 changes in patients s urgically treated for breast cancer: One hundred and three women (median ag e 59 years; range 31-83 years) with pT1-2, pN0-1, M0 breast cancer were fol lowed up for at least 5 years. CEA and CA 15-3 serum levels were measured b efore operation and every 6 months during follow-up. The diagnostic sensiti vity of CEA and CA 15-3 was 22.3% and 33.3% respectively. There was a signi ficant difference (p<0.01) between pre- and post-operative (6 months and 5 years after, surgery) mean CEA serum levels independent of TNM staging. Dur ing follow-up, 21 (20.4%) patients showed recurrence of cancer and overall CEA and CA 15-3 sensitivity was 38.1% and 61.1%, with 98.8% and 91.2% speci ficity, respectively. Tumor marker measurement may be useful in post-surgic al follow-up, but at present they me neither sensitive nor specific enough for early diagnosis of malignancy.