Haidopoulos D, Konstadoulakis M M, Antonakis P T, Alexiou D G, Manouras A M, Katsaragakis S M, Androulakis G F
First Department of Surgery, Laikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2000 Dec;26(8):742-6. doi: 10.1053/ejso.2000.0996.
The aim of this study was to detect circulating anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (anti-CEA) in breast cancer patients and to evaluate their clinical and prognostic significance.
Fifty-two breast cancer patients and 28 controls were included in this study. Detection of anti-CEA antibodies was performed using a modified enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). Sensitivity, specificity and usefulness index of anti-CEA antibodies were compared to those of CEA. The correlation of anti-CEA antibodies with survival and recurrence-free survival was tested with univariate and multivariate analysis.
Anti-CEA was present in 57% of breast cancer patients and in 11% of controls. The sensitivity and usefulness index of anti-CEA were significantly better than those of CEA. The specificity of anti-CEA antibodies was less than that of CEA, the difference not being statistically significant. Anti-CEA antibodies were an independent statistically significant, favourable factor in recurrence-free survival.
Anti-CEA antibodies circulate in breast cancer patients. They could be used as a more sensitive tumour marker than CEA. Their presence is associated with improved recurrence-free survival. These results should be confirmed in a larger series.
