Multiple Serum Markers in Patients with Endometrial Cancer

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA 125 and CA 15–3 were measured in 47 patients with endometrial cancer and 20 with endometrial hyperplasia. Before treatment elevated serum levels of CEA, CA 125 and CA 15–3 were found in 14, 43 and 32% of cancer patients, respectively. In the 20 patients with endometrial hyperplasia, CEA and CA 15–3 values were normal, while elevated CA-125 titers were detected in 1 case. There was an increasing incidence of abnormal levels of all markers in relation to a higher tumor stage (stage I: 36%; II: 66%; III: 100%). The percentage of positive marker values increased in case of deep myometrial infiltration ( > M1) and/or poorer tumor differentiation ( > G1). However, only percent increase in CA 15–3 positivity was significantly higher in more infiltrating ( > M1, 7 vs. 65%, p < 0.01) and less differentiated ( > G1, 0 vs. 47%, p = 0.01) tumors. These findings suggest that CA 15–3 is in some way associated with the prognostic factors of the disease. All patients except 2 with no evidence of disease after surgery had normal serum marker values. Moreover, CA 125 and CA 15–3 levels reflected the clinical course of the disease during chemotherapy and seemed to be useful for monitoring response to treatment.