Correlation of serum CA 15-3 with histological types of breast cancer

Abstract

Background: The incidence of breast cancer and its fatal effects are constantly on a rise across the globe. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Pakistan with approximately 1 in every 9 Pakistani women developing breast cancer at some stage of their life. There is a constant search for better screening methods which help in early detection and also reflect upon the prognosis of the tumor. CA 15-3 is a reliable serum marker that also helps in identifying patients who would benefit most from adjuvant therapy. Objective: To determine the correlation of serum CA 15-3 with histological types of breast cancer. Methodology: This prospective cross sectional study was conducted on 51 cases of female carcinoma breast from December 2015 to August 2016. The specimens were collected after mastectomy or lumpectomy and then transported to collection Shaukat Khanum Lab and city lab for chemical analysis and histopathological analysis. All the data was analyzed by using SPSS version 17. Results: In the current study, a total of 51 patients were included. Results of serum CA 15-3 level ranged from 3 to 743.2 U/ml (with mean of 40.62).