Variations of serum carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein and immunoglobulin levels in patients with breast cancer

Abstract

To find the marker value of the carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and immunoglobulin levels in patients with breast cancer, stages I or II, these parameters were determined in 94 patients devided into two groups: group A of 57 patients operated on for extirpation of the tumor without preoperative treatment and group B of 37 patients subjected to cobalto-therapy prior to operation then having the tumor extirpated. In the first group the determinations were performed before operation, at 14 days, and 2 months, respectively after the operation. In the second group 5 determinations were performed: before cobalto-therapy, after therapy, before the operation, at 15 days and 2 months, respectively after the operation. CEA and AFP were determined by the RIA tests and the immunoglobulins by immunodiffusion. The results showed that in 7 out of 37 cases the levels of CEA were significantly raised before and after therapy sometimes reaching values as high as 1000-3000 ng/nl while AFP was not influenced at all by breast tumors. The immunoglobulin values were also uninfluenced by the disease, but in certain cases of breast cancer IgA reached values of 300-500 IU/ml. It is assumed that since the patients who presented high CEA values had also an unfavourable evolution of the disease, determination of this antigen might also have a predictive value.