A dilutional immunoperoxidase study of proliferative ductal lesions and carcinomata of the breast.

Abstract

A dilutional immunoperoxidase study of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) reactivity of mild and severe epitheliosis as well as malignant ductal and lobular lesions of the breast was performed. Intraduct carcinoma with a cribriform and clinging patterns showed intracytoplasmic, glycocalyceal and intraluminal staining for CEA at higher dilutions of antiserum than cases with mild and severe epitheliosis. Also, many intraduct carcinomas associated with infiltration stain at a lower concentration of antiserum to CEA than pure intraduct lesions. Staining is seen at lowest concentrations in the infiltrating components. This suggests that as intraduct carcinoma becomes invasive, it loses some of its ability to store and possibly to synthesize CEA. The dilutional immunoperoxidase method could be applied routinely to cases of severe epitheliosis to differentiate them from intraduct carcinoma. However, relatively few cases were studied in this preliminary series and a further study is being carried out. The difficulties encountered using CEA as a tumour marker are outlined.