Evaluation of Circulating CA15-3 Tumor Marker Among Sudanese Women With Breast Cancer

Abstract

In this study blood samples were collected from 100 patients with breast cancer from Radio and Isotopes Center in Khartoum (RICK) as case group and 50 apparently healthy individuals as control group, during the period from March to December 2011. The study aimed to assess the role of CA15-3 as a marker of breast cancer. The level of CA15-3 level was assessed in patients previously diagnosed as breast cancer before dose of chemotherapy and then at intervals of 3 months (3, 6 and 9 months) after dose of chemotherapy. The level of CA15-3 was detected by two monoclonal antibodies (115D8 and DF3) and measured by ELISA. The level of CA15-3 showed significant difference when compared with control (p<0.05). The level of CA15-3 after 3 months of chemotherapy dose showed insignificant difference compared to level of the marker before chemotherapy (P>0.05). The level of CA15-3 after six and nine months of chemotherapy dose showed significant difference compared to the level before chemotherapy (P<0.05). The results also showed a significant relations between level of CA15-3 and age of patients, family history of the disease and hormonal therapy (P<0.05). This study concluded that the level of CA15-3 was elevated in association to metastasis of breast cancer in the patients examined.