Ca 15.3 is the normal test required to monitor treatment and check for breast cancer recurrence. CA 15.3 is a protein normally produced by breast cells, however, in cancer, the concentration of this protein is quite high and it is used as a tumor marker.
Although widely used in breast cancer, CA 15.3 may be elevated in other cancers, such as lung, pancreas, ovary and liver cancer, for example, so it should be controlled with other tests, such as molecular tests to evaluate genetic expression of breast cancer and tests evaluating the estrogen receptor, HER2.See what tests confirm and detect breast cancer.
- Ca 15.
- 3 is mainly used to evaluate the response to breast cancer treatment and to verify recurrence.
- This test is not used for screening because it has low sensitivity and specificity.
- Your doctor usually recommends this test before starting treatment and a few weeks after surgery or starting chemotherapy to see if treatment is effective.
The concentration of this protein in the blood is increased in 10% of women in the early stages of breast cancer and in more than 70% of women with advanced cancer, usually metastasized, being more suitable for this test in women who have already been treated or are being treated for cancer.
The test is done only with the person’s blood sample and does not require preparation.Blood is collected and sent to the lab for treatment and testing.The analysis process is usually automatic and produces accurate and reliable results in a short period of time.
The reference value for this test is 0 to 30 U /mL, values above this value already indicate malignancy, the higher the concentration of CA 15.3 in the blood, the more advanced breast cancer, in addition, the gradual increase in concentration of this protein may indicate that the person does not respond to treatment or that tumor cells are proliferating again, indicating a relapse.
High CA 15.3 levels do not always indicate breast cancer, as this protein may also be elevated in other cancers, such as lung, ovarian and colorectal cancer, for example, for this reason, CA 15.3 is not used for screening, but only for disease monitoring.