cancer antigen CA 15-3 in serum
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Indications
- assessment of metastatic breast cancer
Contraindications
- not indicated for early-stage breast cancer[3]
Reference interval
- < 30 arbitrary units
Clinical significance
- serum levels are increased in about 80% of patients with metastatic breast cancer
- may be useful to predict recurrence of disease & to evaluate response to therapy
- most useful when used in combination with serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
Sensitivity: 0.60
Specificity: 0.87
Predictive value of a positive test: 0.91
Increases
- metastatic breast cancer ~80%
Methods
Specimen
(specimen requirements)
- serum or plasma
- stable up to 5 days at 2-8 degrees C
- for longer periods, store at -20 degrees C (avoid repetitive freeze-thaw cycles)
Procedure
- the test uses two antibodies
- 115D8 raised against antigens of human milk fat globule membranes
- DF3 raised against a membrane-enriched fraction from a human breast cancer cell line
Notes
- antigen of mucin-type high molecular weight glycoprotein
- localized to apical side of alveoli & ducts of mammary glands
- also present as a circulating antigen
More general terms
Additional terms
References
- ↑ Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, 3rd ed. Teitz ed., W.B. Saunders, 1995
- ↑ Cancer Antigen-Breast (CA15-3) Laboratory Test Directory ARUP: http://www.aruplab.com/guides/ug/tests/0080464.jsp
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 19 Board Basics. An Enhancement to MKSAP19. American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2022