Biologic markers and breast cancer: a multiparametric study--1. Increased serum protein levels

From early 1972 to the end of 1976, the profiles of several serum protein were used to monitor disease stage and prognosis of 207 patients with breast cancer. Six of these proteins, alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha-AT), alpha 2-ceruloplasmin (Cp), beta 1-transferrin, IgA, C4, and C5, were significantly elevated in these cancer patients and were used as biologic markers in a multiparametric study. Among these breast cancer patients, 72% had at least two of these protein levels elevated, of which alpha-AT (55%), C5 (38%), and IgA (36%) levels were most commonly raised. The number of elevated proteins was parallel to disease progression as 61% (Group 1) and 74% (Group 2) of the patients with operable breast cancer and 90% of patients with metastatic disease showed an elevation of two or more of these nonspecific proteins. There was also a positive correlation between the number of elevated proteins and prognosis; of the 26 patients who died during the five-year follow-up, only four (15%) had no more than one protein level elevated, and 22 (85%) had two or more protein levels elevated. On the other hand, when considered as a group, patients with no or only one protein level elevated had a better prognosis than patients with two or more levels elevated (P less than 0.03). This multiparametric study tends to indicate that the high level of these serum proteins, reflecting an abnormal biochemical profile, provides valuable information that relates to the stage of the disease and patients' prognosis. Results also suggest that these proteins may aid in differentiating the group with high recurrent risks from that with a more favorable prognosis for a given clinical and pathologic stage, illustrating their importance as biologic markers in breast cancer.