Elevated CA 125 in Breast Cancer – A Sign of Advanced Disease

The serum tumor markers CA 125, MUC1 and CEA were measured in 221 breast cancer patients over a period of 2 years. Patients examined on at least three occasions were included in the study. Thirty-three patients had increasing or continuously high concentrations of CA 125. Thirty (91%) of these had i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tumor biology 2001-07, Vol.22 (4), p.223-228
Main Authors: Norum, Lars F., Erikstein, Bjørn, Nustad, Kjell
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Mammary gland diseases
Medical sciences
Research Article
Tumors
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Summary:The serum tumor markers CA 125, MUC1 and CEA were measured in 221 breast cancer patients over a period of 2 years. Patients examined on at least three occasions were included in the study. Thirty-three patients had increasing or continuously high concentrations of CA 125. Thirty (91%) of these had involvement of the pleura, either as pleural metastasis or metastasis in surrounding tissue i.e. bone structures in the thorax cavity or lung parenchyma. MUC1 and CEA were elevated in 27 (82%) and 24 (73%) of the 33 patients, respectively. Increased concentrations of these two markers did not relate to the site of metastasis. However, the three tumor markers complemented each other in detecting early metastases. Increased CA 125 was associated with metastasis in or near the pleura, and in stage IV breast cancer it was related to poor prognosis.
ISSN:1010-4283
1423-0380
DOI:10.1159/000050620