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Tissue and plasma carcinoembryonic antigen in early breast cancer a prognostic factor
Author(s) -
Mansour Edward G.,
Hastert Mary,
Park Chan Ho,
Koehler Karl A,
Petrelli Mary
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19830401)51:7<1243::aid-cncr2820510712>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - carcinoembryonic antigen , medicine , gastroenterology , breast cancer , stage (stratigraphy) , cancer , prospective cohort study , oncology , paleontology , biology
A prospective study of plasma and tissue carcinoembryonic antigen (P‐CEA and T‐CEA) levels in 63 patients with early (Stage I and II) breast cancer was undertaken to determine if the presence of CEA in tissue and/or plasma at the time of primary surgery can be used as a prognostic factor. Thirty‐two Stage I and 31 Stage II patients were evaluable with a median follow‐up time of 26 months: 29/63 were T‐CEA and/or P‐CEA positive while 34/63 were T‐CEA and P‐CEA negative; 9/63 were both T‐CEA and P‐CEA positive; 13/63 were P‐CEA positive alone, while 25/63 were T‐CEA positive alone; 5/29 T‐CEA and/or P‐CEA positive showed disease progression with a mean DFI of 11.8 months, compared with 0/34 T‐CEA and P‐CEA negative patients ( P < 0.02); 2/9 T‐CEA and P‐CEA positive compared with 0/34 negative patients progressed ( P < 0.01). There was a significant difference ( P < 0.05) between P‐CEA positive (3/13) patients with recurrence and P‐CEA negative (2/50). When T‐CEA positive patients (4/25) were compared with T‐CEA negative (1/38), the difference approaches significance. When the recurrences were analyzed with respect to CEA, estrogen receptor (ER) and nodal status, only in the CEA+ versus CEA– group was there a significant difference. The early data show that patients with positive T‐CEA and/or P‐CEA have a higher recurrence rate with probable poor prognosis. Prognosis correlates better with CEA status than with ER or nodal status.