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BACKGROUND: Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) is a breast tumor marker of clinical utility. However,
the utility of measuring CA15-3 in patients with breast cancer (BC) remains controversial.
OBJECTIVES: To assess CA15-3 concentrations of newly diagnosed BC patients and to compare
those with concentrations of apparently healthy females and within the different the grades of the
carcinoma. METHODS: CA15-3 concentration of newly diagnosed BC patients (n=155) and
apparently healthy age matched females (n=35) was assessed using enzyme immunoassay sandwich
method with a final fluorescent detection using mini vidas immuno analyser. Nottingham grade of the
carcinoma of each BC patient was recorded from the histopathology records. RESULTS: The median
levels of CA15-3 of the BC patients and apparently healthy women in the study sample was 14.45
(IQR: 10.17) U/mL and 14.19 (IQR: 7.09) U/mL respectively. CA15-3 concentrations were not
significantly different among BC and healthy women (p>0.05). Only 11% of women with BC had
elevated CA15-3 concentrations above the reference range (30 U/mL). The BC patients were
classified as Nottingham grade I (13.4%), II (47.8%) and III (38%). CA15-3. Concentrations (median
and IQR) within each grade were 15.24 (6.62), 13.06 (11.56) and 17.52 (13.69) respectively. CA15-3
concentrations were not significantly different according to the grade (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CA
15-3 concentrations of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were not significantly different when
compared with apparently healthy women and according to the Nottingham grading.
