Hormone receptor rate and serum markers CEA and CA 15-3 in patients with early breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer (BC) continues to be the most common cancer in women, and subsequent a public health problem. Although BC is a progressive disease, small tumours are more successfully treated, and have a better prognosis. Lymph node status, tumour size, and oestrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) rate are primary prognostic factors able to give information on clinical outcome, while serum tumour markers may be useful in predicting recurrence and monitoring the therapeutic response of BC. The aim of this study was to analyze whether relationship exist between age, ER, PgR, CEA, CA 15-3, and MIB-1 index in patients with early BC. Patients and Methods: Charts from a series of 196 women (median age 55 years, range 26-82 years) who underwent curative surgery for pT1 pN0 BC were reviewed. Patients with positive lymph nodes were excluded from the study, as well those who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy for previous cancer. There were 15 (7.6%) pT1a, 69 (35.2%) pT1b, and 112 (66.2%) pT1c patients, aged 52.511.5, 55.912.9, and 55.811.8 years, respectively (p¼NS). Results: As expected, there was a significant correlation (p<0.001) between ER and PgR (R¼0.79), and CEA and CA 15-3 serum levels (R¼0.20), while an inverse relationship between greatest diameter of the tumour (size) and PgR (R¼-0.20) was found. A weak correlation (p<0.05) between age of the patients and CEA (R¼0.13), and size and CA 15-3 (R¼0.12) was also observed. The results of the Spearman’s correlation analysis are reported in the Table. Conclusions: In patients with early stage (pT1 pN0) BC baseline serum tumour markers CEA and CA 15-3 have similar behaviour, as well as and hormone receptors ER and PgR rate, but they are independent of age, and weakly related to the tumour size.