The Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) biochemical tumor marker program

One hundred and thirty-three high-risk breast cancer patients entered the DBCG (Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group) tumor marker program between May 1978 and June 1980. Eleven were excluded from the DBCG protocol and 23 left the program prematurely. The remaining patients were seen at the clinical laboratory once a month during the first year and every third month during the second and third year following mastectomy. Blood and urine specimens were collected and plasma, serum and urine specimens stored at -80 degrees C. The purposes of the program were 1) to collect a biological material which may later be used to assess the usefulness of biochemical markers for the prediction of recurrence and 2) to develop statistical time series models suitable for this assessment. Such a model is presented and its application for the assessment of the usefulness of 14 common tumor markers reviewed. Only P-CEA proved to be of any value but its usefulness was marginal.