What Are Normal Tumor Markers For Breast Cancer

Why Is Knowing Hormone Receptor Status Important

Knowing the hormone receptor status of your cancer helps doctors decide how to treat it. If your cancer has one or both of these hormone receptors, hormone therapy drugs can be used to either lower estrogen levels or stop estrogen from acting on breast cancer cells. This kind of treatment is helpful for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, but it doesnt work on tumors that are hormone receptor-negative .

All invasive breast cancers should be tested for both of these hormone receptors either on the biopsy sample or when the tumor is removed with surgery. About 7 of 10 breast cancers have at least one of these receptors. This percentage is higher in older women than in younger women. DCIS should also be checked for hormone receptors.

Tumor Markers In Breast Cancer Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Background:Objective:Methodology:Results:

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What Do The Results Mean

Depending in what type of test you had and how it was used, your results may:

• Help diagnose the type or stage of your cancer.
• Show whether your cancer treatment is working.
• Help plan future treatment.
• Show if your cancer has returned after you’ve finished treatment.

If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.

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What Are The Limitations Of Tumour Marker Tests

Tumor marker tests can provide a lot of helpful information, however it may not always be correct. The limitations include:

• Some noncancerous conditions can also raise tumor marker levels.
• Tumor markers may go up and down over time, making it a little difficult to measure them consistently.
• Sometimes, the level of a tumor maker may not go up until the cancer is in the last stage.
• Some cancers dont make tumor markers.
• Even if there is a cancer known to raise tumor marker levels, some people wont have high levels of that tumor marker.

Is There Any Chance That The Tumor Marker Test Reports May Go Wrong

• Yes, there is a chance that the report may show false negative, which means the results tell that the person doesnt have cancer, when they actually have cancer. The other possibility is it also means that a treatment is working when its actually not working.
• Also, theres a chance that the report may show false positive, which means the results suggest a person has cancer or that the cancer is growing, even when its not.
• Thats why other tests are usually done along with tumor marker tests to confirm the findings.

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Imaging Tests Have Risks And Costs

The biggest risk is that imaging tests expose you to radiation. The effects of radiation add up over your lifetime and can increase your risk of cancer.

Imaging tests can also show a false positive. This means a test shows something unusual, but after more testing, is not a problem. False positives can lead to stress, more tests, and a delay in getting needed treatment.

Imaging tests can also add thousands of dollars to your treatment costs. Not all insurance companies pay for them for early-stage breast cancer.

What To Expect After A Tumor Marker Test

When your blood draw is over, your blood sample will be sent to a lab to be tested for tumor markers. The results will be sent to your doctor, who will contact you to go over them.

Its possible that youll experience bruising or swelling in the area around where the needle was inserted. This will typically go away after a day or so.

The time that it takes to receive your results depends on the laboratory doing the test. Your doctor can let you know when to expect your results. When the results are ready, theyll contact you to go over them.

Since tumor markers are associated with cancer cells, higher results can be an indicator that:

• your current treatment isnt working effectively
• a greater amount of cancer is present
• your cancer is spreading to other areas

The table below shows the normal versus high test result values for some of the tumor markers mentioned earlier.

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Benefits Drawbacks Results & More

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women around the world. The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 281,550 new diagnoses of breast cancer in the United States in 2021.

If youve been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may be familiar with testing for biomarkers like HER2 and hormone receptors. Its also possible that your doctor will order tests for tumor markers during the course of your treatment.

Tumor markers can inform your doctor about the level of cancer activity in your body. Learn more about tumor marker tests in breast cancer, when theyre used, and what the results can mean.

Tumor markers are typically proteins that are produced by cancer cells, many of which can be found in the blood. Some examples of such tumor markers in breast cancer are:

• CA 15-3 and CA 27.29: CA 15-3 and CA 27.29 are two related markers that are made in higher amounts by breast cancer cells. As such, when theyre found in the blood, they can signal the presence of breast cancer.
• Carcinoembryonic antigen :CEA is a marker thats often used for colorectal cancer. However, it can also be applied to other types of cancer as well, including breast cancer.
• CA 125: CA 125 is a marker thats most often associated with ovarian cancer, but can also be a sign of breast cancer.

Tumor marker tests can be used by doctors to gauge the level of cancer activity in your body. This information may be useful to:

Grading Invasive Breast Cancer Cells

Three features of the invasive breast cancer cell are studied and each is given a score. The scores are then added to get a number between 3 and 9 that is used to get a grade of 1, 2, or 3, which is noted on your pathology report. Sometimes the terms well differentiated, moderately differentiated, and poorly differentiated are used to describe the grade instead of numbers:

• Grade 1 or well differentiated . The cells are slower-growing, and look more like normal breast cells.
• Grade 2 or moderately differentiated . The cells are growing at a speed of and look like cells somewhere between grades 1 and 3.
• Grade 3 or poorly differentiated . The cancer cells look very different from normal cells and will probably grow and spread faster.

Our information about pathology reports can help you understand details about your breast cancer.

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Elevated Levels Of Serum Tumor Markers Cea And Ca15

• Affiliations Department of Breast oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital Of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, Henan Province Tumor Hospital, Zhengzhou, China

• Affiliations Department of Breast oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital Of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, Henan Province Tumor Hospital, Zhengzhou, China

• Affiliations Department of Breast oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital Of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, Henan Province Tumor Hospital, Zhengzhou, China

• Affiliations Department of Breast oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital Of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, Henan Province Tumor Hospital, Zhengzhou, China

Guide To Tumor Markers Used In Cancer

This is a table of the most often used tumor markers, the cancers they can be found with, non-cancerous health issues that can cause them to be high, and the range of normal results.

In cases where the half-life is listed, this should be kept in mind when checking levels. For example, the PSA half-life is 2-3 days, so if the level were checked the day after surgical removal of the prostate, it would still be raised. If the level were checked a week later, the result should be zero, or very close to zero, if no prostate cells remain.

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Tests For Certain Proteins On Tumor Cells

Lab tests might also be done to look for certain proteins on the cancer cells.

Hormone receptor proteins: All breast cancers are tested for hormone receptors . Specifically, the cancer is tested for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor . Read more at Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status.

HER2 protein: All invasive breast cancers are tested for the HER2 protein to see if too much is being made. If it is not clear how much HER2 protein is present, the breast cancer cells might then undergo molecular testing for gene changes to see how many copies of the HER2 gene are being made. For more information about the HER2 gene and protein see Breast Cancer HER2 Status.

PD-L1 protein: People with advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer might have their cancer tissue tested for the PD-L1 protein, which can show if the cancer is more likely to respond to treatment with certain immunotherapy drugs along with chemotherapy.

What Are The Uses Of Tumor Markers

• Tumor markers are most often used to check whether a treatment is working or not. If the tumour marker level is going down, that means the treatment is working.
• Tumor markers are also used in certain cancers to watch for recurrence .
• Tumor markers can also be used along with other tests to help find cancer in a patient who has symptoms that are suspicious of cancer.
• Rarely, they are used to screen people at high risk for cancer.

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Other Breast Cancer Gene Protein And Blood Tests

Samples that have been collected during biopsies, bloodwork, or other tests are sent to a pathology lab. A pathologist, a doctor who uses lab tests to diagnose diseases such as cancer, will look at the samples and may do other special tests to help better classify the cancer. These tests can also help choose certain drugs that might work better for your cancer. This is sometimes called precision or personalized medicine because it is precise for the features of your cancer.

The results of these tests are described in a pathology report, which is usually available within a week or two. If you have any questions about your pathology results or any diagnostic tests, talk to your doctor. If needed, you can get a second opinion of your pathology report by having your tissue samples sent to a pathologist at another lab.

For more information see Precision or Personalized Medicine.

Grading Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

DCIS is also graded on how abnormal the cancer cells look and has a similar grading system to that used for invasive breast cancer .

• Grade 1 or low grade DCIS. The cells are growing slower, and look more like normal breast cells. These cells tend to have estrogen and progesterone receptors .
• Grade 2 or intermediate grade. The cells are growing at a speed of and look like cells somewhere between grades 1 and 3.
• Grade 3 or high grade. The cancer cells look very different from normal cells and are growing faster. These cells tend not to have estrogen and progesterone receptors . High grade DCIS is often more likely to turn into invasive breast cancer.

Necrosis is also noted. If there is necrosis, it means the tumor is growing quickly. The term comedo necrosis may be used if a breast duct is filled with dead and dying cells. Comedo necrosis is often linked to a high grade of DCIS and has a higher chance of developing into invasive breast cancer.

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Sample Collection And Tumor Marker Analysis

All serum samples were collected in the morning. Blood collected without anticoagulant was centrifuged at 1600 × g for 10 min at 4°C one hour after collection and transferred into tubes and kept at 80°C for further experimentation. Serum CEA and CA15-3 levels were determined using an automatic electrochemistry luminescence immunoassay system . The cut-off values of CEA and CA15-3 were 5.0 ng/mL and 25 U/mL, respectively, and the value was considered positive or negative for the marker if the level was above or below the cut-off value, respectively.

What Are Tumor Marker Tests For Breast Cancer

Tumor markers are typically proteins that are produced by cancer cells, many of which can be found in the blood. Some examples of such tumor markers in breast cancer are:

• CA 15-3 and CA 27.29: CA 15-3 and CA 27.29 are two related markers that are made in higher amounts by breast cancer cells. As such, when theyre found in the blood, they can signal the presence of breast cancer.
• Carcinoembryonic antigen :CEA is a marker thats often used for colorectal cancer. However, it can also be applied to other types of cancer as well, including breast cancer.
• CA 125: CA 125 is a marker thats most often associated with ovarian cancer, but can also be a sign of breast cancer.

Additionally, sometimes parts of a tumor can break off and circulate in the blood. These circulating tumor cells can also be used as a tumor marker. High amounts of CTCs in the blood can mean that cancer is growing and spreading.

Tumor marker tests can be used by doctors to gauge the level of cancer activity in your body. This information may be useful to:

• evaluate how your cancer is responding to your current treatment
• see if your cancer has spread to other areas
• determine if a cancer thats been in remission has come back

Tumor marker tests can help to inform treatment decisions. For example, if a tumor marker is elevated, it may indicate that your current treatment isnt working. Your doctor may use this information to switch or adjust your treatment.

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Role Of Tumor Markers

• References

Screening tests require high sensitivity to detect early-stage disease. These tests also must have sufficient specificity to protect patients with false-positive results from unwarranted diagnostic evaluations.

To date, no tumor marker has demonstrated a survival benefit in randomized controlled trials of screening in the general population. Nevertheless, tumor markers can play a crucial role in detecting disease and assessing response to therapy in selected groups of patients. In monitoring patients for disease recurrence, tumor marker levels should be determined only when there is a potential for meaningful treatment.

Normalization of tumor marker values may indicate cure despite radiographic evidence of persistent disease. In this circumstance, the residual tumor is frequently nonviable. Conversely, tumor marker levels may rise after effective treatment , but the increase may not portend treatment failure. However, a consistent increase in tumor marker levels, coupled with lack of clinical improvement, may indicate treatment failure. Residual elevation after definitive treatment usually indicates persistent disease. Following tumor marker response is particularly useful when other evidence of disease is not readily accessible.

What Is Breast Cancer Staging

To determine the stage of your cancer, doctors look at how large your tumor is, where it is, and if it has spread. They also look at your medical history, physical exams, diagnostic tests, and tests of your tumor and lymph nodes.

• Early-stage breast cancer includes stages 0, I, II and IIIA .
• In stage 0, there are abnormal cells in the ducts or lobes of the breast. They have not broken through the wall of the duct or spread.
• In stages I, II, and IIIA, there is a tumor. It may have spread to lymph nodes under the arm, but it has not spread anywhere else.

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What Is Normal Range For Tumor Markers

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Also question is, what is a normal tumor marker level?

Tumor markers are substances that may be elevated when there is cancer in the body. Guide to Tumor Markers Used in Cancer.

Likewise, are tumor markers reliable? There has been no evidence to prove that tumor markers are 100 percent reliable for determining the presence or absence of cancer. Many circumstances, such as other health issues or disease, can contribute to raised tumor marker levels. Blood or urine tests are used to measure tumor marker levels in the body.

Thereof, what do tumor markers tell you?

Tumor markers are substances made by cancer cells or by normal cells in response to cancer in the body. Because tumor markers can also show up in certain noncancerous conditions, tumor marker tests are not usually used to diagnose cancer or screen people at low risk of the disease.

What causes tumor markers to rise?

Tumor markers are substances that are produced by cancer or by other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign conditions. Sometimes, noncancerous conditions can cause the levels of certain tumor markers to increase.