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Prospective assessment of the role of five tumour markers in breast cancer

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Summary

Retrospective analysis previously identified significant elevation of five tumour markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), ferritin, orosomucoid,C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), in patients with systemic breast cancer and showed that changes in each of these markers individually correlated significantly with therapeutic response. In this study we have prospectively tested these findings. None of the five markers was significantly elevated in primary breast cancer compared to normal control or benign breast disease groups. They therefore appear to have no role either in screening or in the differential diagnosis of breast cancer. There was a significant elevation of all five markers in patients with systemic breast cancer (P <0.0001; analysis of variance) but sequential changes in CEA and ESR only correlated significantly with the UICC-assessed response. Prospective confirmation of the correlation between changes in serum CEA and ESR provides the basis for using these markers in the assessment of response to therapy in patients with systemic breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professorial Unit of Surgery, City Hospital, NG5 1PB, Nottingham, UK

    J. F. R. Robertson & R. W. Blamey

  2. Medical Physics, City Hospital, UK

    D. Pearson

  3. Clinical Chemistry, City Hospital, UK

    M. R. Price

  4. Community Medicine, University Hospital, UK

    C. Selby

  5. Cancer Research Campaign Laboratories, Nottingham, UK

    J. Pearson

  6. Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK

    A. Howell (external assessor)

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  1. J. F. R. Robertson
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  2. D. Pearson
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  3. M. R. Price
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  4. C. Selby
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  6. R. W. Blamey
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  7. A. Howell
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Robertson, J.F.R., Pearson, D., Price, M.R. et al. Prospective assessment of the role of five tumour markers in breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 33, 403–410 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01741602

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01741602

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