Prognosis in breast carcinoma utilizing plasma carcinoembryonic antigen and histologic characteristics of the primary tumor

Comparison of Prolactin, CA 15–3 and TPA in Breast Carcinomas

Circulating prolactin, CA 15–3 and TPA were assayed pre-therapeutically and sequentially thereafter from 68 breast cancer patients attending the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Ahmedabad — a regional cancer institute in Western India. The three marker values were correlated with the stage, histologic grade and disease status. At least one of the markers was elevated in 82% of patients. CA 15–3 and TPA levels were elevated with the advancement of stage. Prolactin levels were high in poorly differentiated tumors of pre-menopausal patients. The disease status was effectively reflected by the levels of prolactin and CA 15–3. TPA showed high false positivity so was of no use as an indicator of disease status. Recurrence could be predicted early, with a lead time of 3–6 months using prolactin and CA 15–3.

Tumor markers in patients with advanced breast cancer as prognosticators: a preliminary study

A retrospective study was performed on 69 breast cancer patients (stage II, N = 18; advanced disease, N = 51) in order to assess the prognostic value of circulating prolactin (PRL), CEA, CA 15-3, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) by RIA/IRMA. These markers were compared with short-term prognosis (two years). Significant difference was observed only for PRL ( < 20.0 ng/ml vs. > 20.0 ng/ml), which provide an independent predictor of short-term prognosis in advanced breast cancer.

Plasma prolactin as an indicator of disease progression in advanced breast cancer

Serial plasma prolactin levels were measured in 144 breast cancer patients (premenopausal [PR-M], N = 64; postmenopausal [PO-M], N = 80) and compared with respective controls. Patients with breast cancer were grouped into those who (1) developed distant metastasis, (2) developed local recurrence, (3) stable disease, and (4) responded to the various therapeutic modalities at the end of 2 years. The authors' analysis showed excellent correlation between serial plasma prolactin changes and the response to therapy or progression of disease in patients with advanced breast carcinoma.