Relationship between hormone receptors, MIB-1 index and serum tumour markers CEA and CA 15-3 in patients with pT1-2 breast cancer

Background: CEA and CA 15−3 are the best investigated serum tumor markers in breast cancer (BC) patients. The aim of this study was to find relationship between serum CEA and CA 15−3 and prognostic markers, such estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PGR), and tumor proliferation rate index measured by MIB-1 index, in women with pT1−2 breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Preoperative measurement of serum CEA and CA 15−3 was obtained from 301 women (median age 61.2 years, range 28−85 years) with confirmed BC, who underwent curative surgery. The removed tumor tissue was routinely processed for ER and PGR using a quantitative standard immunoenzymatic method, while the immunostaining of Ki-67 antigen was performed using the monoclonal antibody MIB-1. Results: The results (age of the patients [61.2±12.9 years], size of the tumor [20.7±10.2 mm], CEA [6.3±5.0 ng/mL], CA 15−3 [26.1±12.4 U/mL], MIB-1 [21.6%], ER [58.8%], and PGR [54.4%]), expressed as median values, are reported in Figure 1. There was a significant relationship between (1) size and both age (R = 0.16, p = 0.005) and ER (R = −0.15, p = 0.011), (2) CEA and CA 15−3 (R = 0.19, p < 0.001), (3) PGR and ER (R = 0.52, p < 0.001), and (4) an inverse relationship between PGR and age (R = −0.15, p = 0.008), size (R = −0.23, p < 0.001), and MIB-1 (R = −0.15, p = 0.009). A weak correlation (R = 0.11, P = 0.046) between age and CEA was also found. Conclusions: There was no relationship between preoperative serum tumor markers CEA and CA 15−3, and routine prognostic markers ER, PGR and MIB-1, which mainly inversely correlate with age of the patients, and size of the tumor.