CA 15-3 - breast cancer cancer marker

In medicine, CA 15-3 (oncomarker) is used in laboratory diagnostics of breast cancer, its increase in serum indicates the presence of pathology, especially in the case of neglected stages and the presence of metastases in the body. This marker is a very important indicator that has high specificity, a study is used to determine the quality of the treatment performed, as well as the recurrence or screening of metastases. The analysis of CA 15-3 is also used to diagnose such a formidable disease of the breast as carcinoma, from the membranes of which it actually appears in the blood serum.

What is a tumor marker?

Tumor markers are substances of a different nature that can be found in liquid media (most often in urine or blood), at a certain concentration they can indicate the presence of cancer pathology. In the diagnostic process, markers depend on the specificity of the tumor and the sensitivity. Specificity is the percentage of negative results of oncomarkers in the analysis of a healthy person. Sensitivity is the percentage of positive results obtained in patients with oncological pathology. Today, not a single specific antigen has been found that would directly and with a hundred percent probability could help to place an oncological diagnosis. Oncomarkers can be raised and with inflammatory diseases of a different nature, and will also increase in a benign process.

Normally, cancer markers are produced only by embryonic cells. Recently, doctors often began to find cancer markers among young people and even children. This is due to the constantly deteriorating environmental situation, the presence of harmful habits or concomitant pathology.

How better

To determine the oncomarker is best in dynamics, then it has more diagnostic value than a one-time diagnosis. The rate at which the index increases is indicative of the tumor growth rate, as well as the presence of metastases. Even after the treatment, the cancer antigen CA 15-3 for a period of six months to nine months is able to outstrip the development of the clinical picture. About 80% of women who have metastasized breast cancer come to see a doctor with elevated rates, in 20% with a diagnosis of the oncological process in the first or second stage, the marker also rises.

When to appoint

The material for the study is blood, CA 15-3 marker is handed over for the purpose of constant and timely monitoring, detection of early recurrence of the disease, metastasis and the effectiveness of the treatment. Also not the last place is occupied by differential diagnostics of malignant process and mastopathy.

What is CA 15-3 (oncomarker)

It is a high molecular weight glycoprotein of mucin type and has a molecular weight of 300 kilodaltons. Normally the marker is included in the surface of the membranes of the secreting cells. It can be detected in breast carcinoma, but the presence of this laboratory indicator is also possible with carcinoma of the lungs, ovaries, as well as the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas.

In addition, CA 15-3 (oncomarker) can produce tumor tissue, it can be increased in other pathological conditions, in which the cell turnover increases. This and other glycoproteins from the body, in particular from the blood, are excreted by the liver, and it is her pathology, in particular cirrhosis, that can become an additional link in diagnosis.

Importance of analysis

Breast cancer is quite an insidious disease, which in the early stages is difficult to diagnose. To submit a blood test CA 15-3 is also for prevention, then oncology has no chance at the earliest stage of the process. In addition, it will allow the timely diagnosis of liver pathology. Particular attention should be paid to the risk group, these are patients who have been treated, or women in menopause. In addition, it is possible to establish whether the process is benign or, conversely, requires immediate treatment and specialist intervention.

Diseases requiring analysis

The first, for which it is worth to take the analysis of CA 15-3, is, as already mentioned, breast cancer, carcinomas, and metastasis of the process. Since this is a protein, and the main place of its metabolism is the liver, problems with it can also give rise. First of all, in this case it is worth thinking about cirrhosis, in this case CA 15-3 rises, the norm in this case is equal to 50 U / ml. Also worth paying attention to and additional methods of examining the liver, primarily ultrasound and histological. It is the histologist who can put the final point in the diagnosis. Since carcinoma can develop not only in the mammary gland, but also in the stomach, pancreas, ovaries and lungs and metastasize from these organs, the CA 15-3 marker becomes especially important for men. The dynamics of the analysis will allow us to judge about the treatment and its quality.

Often the marker rises and in a benign process, it is primarily the aforementioned diseases of the mammary glands. Autoimmune diseases can give increased CA 15-3. Oncomarker can be increased and with such a physiological state of the woman's body as pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, the indicator in this case is equal to 50 U / ml.

What? Where? When?

You just need to surrender the blood from the vein, which the nurse will take in the treatment room. Only it is worth remembering that on an empty stomach it is necessary to take the analysis of CA 15-3, deciphering it in this case will be more accurate. The serum is studied, in which the indicator of the oncologic protein will be determined. The analysis is completed in three hours and the result is ready. Assign the analysis can an oncologist, mammologist or gynecologist. The study of blood serum occurs with the use of immunochemiluminescent analysis, and half an hour before the analysis is worth abstaining from smoking.

Since the last meal, at least 8 hours and no more than 14 hours must pass. Blood is also taken before the medication is taken, and not earlier than 1-2 weeks after discontinuation. If it is not possible to refuse medication, the direction should indicate which drugs the person takes and in what dose. The day before taking the analysis, it is necessary to limit physical activity, and also to refuse fat and fried foods.

Results

The reference value of the indicator should be less than 31.3 units in a milliliter. As the CA 15-3 increases, it is possible to judge the stage of the process, and the more the disease is started, the larger the tumor in the breast tissue. Metastasizes the cancer, especially in the bones and / or liver, which can also testify to the analysis. Do not forget that at an early stage of the process the CA 15-3 (oncomarker) may not exceed the norm. According to statistics, the percentage of such patients is 25 to 30, the cancer tissue simply does not produce this specific protein. In the case of a constant increase in concentration against the background of the treatment, one can safely think of its insufficient effectiveness, or, conversely, the recurrence of the process.

The result may be distorted

Concomitant pathology can affect the indicators of analysis, and this should be taken into account. There is a whole list of diseases that, against the backdrop of the oncological process, can distort the result and allow the doctor to follow the false track. Such pathologies include autoimmune processes, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis. In the presence of this pathology, the result can be false positive.

In the diagnosis of breast cancer, analysis on CA 15-3 will be more valuable if you simultaneously determine the cancer-embryonic antigen. And to conduct the test itself is best in a few weeks after the start of the treatment.

Other tests

For diagnosis, you can take not only blood, the material can also be pleural fluid, ascitic (especially with cirrhosis), spinal, cystic (biopsy of the breast or ovarian cyst) fluid. In order to judge the pathology, it is necessary to focus on certain norms. In a healthy organism, the oncomarker does not exceed the index from 0 to 22 IU per milliliter, the borderline is considered to be from 22 to 30 IU per milliliter, the pathology is the analysis in which 30 IU per milliliter or more are detected.

Prevention matters

Oncomarkers are not the only research method that allows doctors to make the right diagnosis. In the presence of oncology, markers will allow to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment or to identify the disease at an early stage of its development. It is necessary to submit the analysis at least once a year, especially after 35-40 years.

Along with the definition of cancer markers, the examination of the patient using instrumental methods as well as comprehensive clinical examination is not excluded. With a high CA 15-3 index and no change in mammary gland testing, one should not relax, the oncological process may be hiding in other organs, for example, in the intestine, liver, ovaries or uterus. The presence of this antigen in men indicates problems with the liver or gastrointestinal tract, in order to prevent the determination of CA 15-3, they need it.

To help interpret the analysis will help only a specialist, because an independent interpretation can lead to psychological disorders or stress, although an increase in markers can be observed in a benign process. Assign the analysis can only a specialist, after conducting a comprehensive clinical examination and after a careful collection of anamnesis. Oncological markers give specialists the opportunity to early diagnose a malignant process, but only with a comprehensive approach can you judge the final result.