Diagnostic value of measuring serum CA 15-3, TPA, and TPS in women with breast cancer.

INVESTIGATION The concentrations of CA 15-3, TPA, and TPS were determined in the serum of 90 women with breast cancer MATERIAL/METHODS Serum CA 15-3 levels were determined by Abbott immunofluorescent tests, TPA concentration using the Byk-Roland immunoluminometric method, and TPS by the BEKI Diagnostics immunoenzymatic method. RESULTS In the diagnosis of breast cancer, the TPA test had the greatest diagnostic sensitivity. A strong correlation was found between the percentages of women with positive levels of all three markers and advanced stages of breast cancer. A longitudinal evaluation of 42 women who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed clinical regression of the tumor and a statistically significant reduction in the concentrations of these markers CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that determining the serum levels of CA 15-3, TPA, and TPS may be used to establish the stage of disease and it provides useful guidance both in deciding whether to treat surgically and in estimating the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.