Related Experiment Videos
CA 549 as a marker in breast cancer
A M Dnistrian1, M K Schwartz, E J Greenberg
1Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
The International Journal of Biological Markers
|July 1, 1991
Summary
The CA 549 assay shows high specificity for breast cancer but low sensitivity for early detection. Combining CA 549 with other tumor markers improves detection rates in advanced breast cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Carcinoma-associated antigen 549 (CA 549) is a mucin antigen investigated as a potential breast cancer tumor marker.
- Accurate breast cancer markers are crucial for early diagnosis and effective treatment monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the performance characteristics of the CA 549 assay.
- To compare the clinical utility of CA 549 with other established breast cancer markers.
- To assess the diagnostic value of CA 549 in early and advanced breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Validation of the CA 549 assay.
- Comparison with CA 15-3, CA M26, CA M29, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).
- Establishment of the upper limit of normal (15.5 U/ml) using data from 250 disease-free control subjects.
Main Results:
- CA 549 demonstrated a low negative predictive value (0.51) due to low sensitivity in detecting early breast cancer.
- The assay exhibited a high positive predictive value (0.93), indicating high specificity for breast cancer.
- In advanced breast cancer cases, CA 549 sensitivity was 0.71 alone, increasing to 0.79-0.84 when combined with other markers.
Conclusions:
- CA 549 is a specific but not sensitive marker for early breast cancer detection.
- Combining CA 549 with other tumor markers may enhance diagnostic performance in advanced stages of the disease.
- Further research is warranted to optimize the use of CA 549 in breast cancer diagnostics.