Abstract:
Background: CA15-3 is the most commonly used tumor marker in breast cancer. Its prognostic
role has been described in the metastatic setting, but the role of pre-surgical CA15-3 in the
assessment of patients with breast cancer without metastasis has not been substantiated yet.
Methodology: From February 2014 for a 2-year period, this prospective study included all
patients who were diagnosed with primary breast cancer and underwent surgery at a tertiary
care hospital. The serum level of CA15-3 was assessed on a pre-surgical blood sample and later
at the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Disease-free
survival (DFS) was analyzed with a Kaplan–Meier model and log-rank test.
Results: We enrolled 195 patients (mean age ± SD 57.84 years ±13.819, range, 28–95) with
breast cancer. The prevalence of elevated ($30 U/mL) pre-surgical CA15-3 was 35.9%, and it
reduced to 14.3% at 3 months after mastectomy. Pre-surgical CA15-3 had a significant associa tion only with the size of the tumor (p=0.047). Patients who did not have elevated pre-surgical
CA15-3 ($30 U/mL) had the best short-term DFS, and it was worst when the pre-surgical
CA15-3 was .100 U/mL (p=0.041).
Conclusion: Elevated pre-surgical CA15-3 is a predictor of poor short-term DFS of patients
with breast cancer without distant metastasis.
