Enhanced information – with Tumor Markers

CEA, CA 15-3, BR 27.29 and Serum HER-2/neu are tumor markers that can help clinicians manage breast cancer. CEA, CA 15-3 and BR 27.29 may be used as an aid in monitoring response to treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Serum HER-2/neu may be used with Stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer in individuals whose initial Serum HER-2/neu level is greater than 15 ng/mL. Pre-treatment levels may be taken to establish a baseline serum level Subsequently, serum levels may be serially monitored – increasing levels may indicate progression, while decreasing levels may indicate response to treatment. Tumor markers should be used in conjunction with other clinical tools.

Each year, 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally, and 25% of these cases are HER-2/neu positive based on testing of the tumor tissue.(add reference) HER-2/neu is a biomarker associated with an aggressive type of breast cancer that has been shown to be an indicator of a poor prognosis, higher probability of recurrence and decreased overall survival. It is used as a predictor of response to therapy, and may be considered during selection of therapy, but because it is a tissue marker, it cannot be used to monitor the real time responses patients will go through during the clinical course of disease. The Siemens Serum HER-2/neu is a simple blood test that can be used in monitoring patients whose baseline serum HER-2/neu level is greater than 15 ng/mL during therapy.

“My first experiences with measuring Serum HER-2/neu for metastatic breast cancer showed that in many cases, after patients were given chemotherapy, if the treatment was working, serum levels would rapidly decrease in the first three to four weeks after treatment. We confirmed our serum readings with a CT scan.”

Jean-Pierre Lotz, MD, Chief Medical Oncologist, Université Pierre et Marie Curie’s Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France

Serum tumor markers cannot be interpreted as absolute evidence of the presence or absence of malignant disease. Measurements should always be used in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures.