Cancer treatment combined modality approach

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biochemistry
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Determining the probability of breast cancer metastasis is crucial for treatment decisions, including the necessity of axillary dissection.
• Existing methods measuring circulating substances such as polyamines, nucleosides, Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) have limitations.
• While these markers show high positivity in metastatic disease (up to 97% for HCG, CEA, or guanosine), they lack individual diagnostic utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a reliable correlation or parameter that quantifies tumor cell number in breast cancer patients.
• To guide treatment decisions, including patient selection and therapy duration.
• To move towards individualized breast cancer therapy, reducing empirical treatment approaches.

Main Methods:

• Measurement of various circulating substances including polyamines, nucleosides, CEA, and HCG.
• Analysis of the diagnostic utility of individual and combined markers for predicting metastatic disease.
• Exploration of potential correlations between circulating substances and tumor burden.

Main Results:

• No single circulating substance measured (polyamines, nucleosides, CEA, HCG) is sufficiently useful on its own for determining metastasis probability.
• A high percentage of patients with metastatic breast cancer exhibit positive results for HCG, CEA, or guanosine (up to 97%).
• The study highlights the need for a more comprehensive parameter than individual marker levels.

Conclusions:

• Current circulating substance measurements alone are inadequate for precise metastasis prediction in breast cancer.
• There is a critical need for a parameter that correlates with tumor cell number to individualize treatment strategies.
• The ultimate goal is to transition from empirical therapy to personalized treatment plans for breast cancer patients.