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Axillary versus peripheral blood levels of sialic acid, ferritin, and CEA in patients with breast cancer

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Summary

Serum levels of total sialic acid, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine phosphokinase were measured both in tumor drainage blood (axillary vein) and in peripheral blood obtained from 121 breast cancer patients during surgery. No significant differences between mean values in peripheral and tumor draining blood, between cancer patients and healthy controls, or between patients with or without axillary lymph node metastases were found for any of the markers. Both ferritin and CEA levels were higher in axillary and peripheral blood from patients with central breast cancer versus other sites but the difference was significant only for CEA (p < 0.05). CEA levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in patients with > 2 cm diameter carcinomas versus T1 stage patients in axillary but not in peripheral blood. When the cephalic vein was clamped before the axillary sample was taken, ferritin showed a significant increase (p < 0.05). We conclude that measurement of sialic acid, CEA, and ferritin in axillary venous blood in breast cancer patients is not of clinical benefit, although further data are needed to clarify whether other advantages can be derived.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro di Senologia e, Istituto Geriatrico Pio Albergo Trivulzio, Milan, Italy

    Massimo Monti, Salvatore Catania, Elisa Locatelli & Renato Gandini

  2. Laboratorio Analisi, Ospedale V. Buzzi, Istituto Geriatrico Pio Albergo Trivulzio, Milan, Italy

    Alessandro Reggiani

  3. Medicina IV Reparto, Istituto Geriatrico Pio Albergo Trivulzio, via A. Trivulzio, 15, 20146, Milano, Italy

    Ettore Cunietti

Authors
  1. Massimo Monti
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  2. Salvatore Catania
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  3. Elisa Locatelli
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  4. Renato Gandini
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  5. Alessandro Reggiani
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  6. Ettore Cunietti
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Monti, M., Catania, S., Locatelli, E. et al. Axillary versus peripheral blood levels of sialic acid, ferritin, and CEA in patients with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Tr 17, 77–82 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806287

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806287

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