Clinical Utility of Serial Serum c-erbB-2 Determinations in the Follow-up of Breast Cancer Patients

Authors: Fehm T.^{1, 2}; Gebauer G.^{1, 3}; Jäger W.¹

Source: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Volume 75, Number 2, September 2002 , pp. 97-106(10)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

To evaluate the ability of serum c-erbB-2 protein to (1) indicate occult and manifest metastases and (2) reflect response to first-line therapy, serial serum c-erbB-2 measurements were performed in a retrospective series of 52 primary breast cancer patients who had developed metastatic disease during follow-up. The results were compared with CA 15-3. Preoperatively, 31% (16/52) of the primary breast cancer patients had elevated c-erbB-2 concentrations. The CA 15-3 positivity rate was 13% (7/52). After surgery, 10 of the 52 patients showed either stable but highly elevated or rising c-erbB-2 serum levels indicating serum c-erbB-2 producing minimal residual disease. Increasing CA 15-3 concentrations were seen in only three patients. Elevated serum c-erbB-2 levels predicted manifest metastases in 27 and 50% of the patients at 6 and 3 months, respectively, prior to clinical diagnosis. CA 15-3 was less sensitive. Only 16 and 32% of the patients had increased CA 15-3 serum concentrations at 6 and 3 months, respectively, prior to clinical detection. The positivity rates of c-erbB-2 and CA 15-3 were similar when metastases were clinically diagnosed. Elevated c-erbB-2 concentrations were found in 62% (32/52). The sensitivity of CA 15-3 was 56% (29/52). The association between serum profiles and response to first-line therapy was evaluated in detail for 45 patients. Serial c-erbB-2 and CA 15-3 measurements reflected disease course in 24 and 27 patients, respectively. The serum profiles of c-erbB-2 and CA 15-3 were similar in 17 patients. In summary, our results suggest that serial determinations of serum c-erbB-2 are useful to monitor breast cancer patients.

Keywords: breast cancer; CA 15-3; c-erbB-2 serum protein; follow-up; metastases

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany 2: Cancer Immunobiology Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 3: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, San Diego, CA, USA

Publication date: 2002-09-01

Clinical Utility of Serial Serum c-erbB-2 Determinations in the Follow-up of Breast Cancer Patients

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