Serum marker combinations in human breast cancer (review)

Breast cancer markers (TM) are mainly useful for monitoring the course of disease after diagnosis and first line treatment with the control options of primary treatments early recognition of reactivation and efficiency control of palliative treatment. The best single and established marker is a polymorphic epithelial mucin of the MUC-1 family the prototype of which is CA 15-3 (successive markers: MCA, CA-549, TAG-12, CAM 26/29) followed by CEA with lower diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and TPA/TPS reflecting more the proliferative activity. Besides former TM combinations of CEA with one or more less specific markers (e.g. PAM, CRP, beta 2m, ferritin, GCDFP, HCG, total or boney AP, gamma GT), more recent studies recommend the use of fewer markers such as TPA/TPS + CEA or CA 15-3, CA 15-3 + CEA or MCA, CA M26 + CA M29, TAG12 + CA 15-3 + MCA and CEA + CA 15-3 + ESR.