[D-dimer and plasminogen activator of the urokinase type: personal experiences with breast cancer]

Plasma values of d-dimer, a stable end product of plasmin-induced fibrinolysis, were ascertained in 128 female patients with mammary carcinoma. These patients demonstrated significantly increased d-dimers in comparison with the control group with benign mammary disease (p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of d-dimer were slightly higher than those of the established tumour marker CA 15-3 and CEA. There was no correlation between d-dimers in the plasma and increased expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (UPA) in the tissue. Increased d-dimers in the plasma of female patients with mammary carcinoma reflect multi-factoral interactions between carcinoma growth and the haemostatic-fibrinolytic system, and may be used as tumour markers.