Expression and Significance of ER, PR, VEGF, CA15-3, CA125 and CEA in Judging the Prognosis of Breast Cancer

Abstract

<br/><b>Objective</b>: To explore the expression and significance of estrogen receptor (ER), progestrone receptor(PR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CA15-3, CA125 and carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA)expression in judging the prognosis of breast cancer. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Sixty-five patients with breastcancer undergoing operations in the general surgery department were considered as the observation group,and 50 healthy outpatients of our hospital as the control group. Cubital venous blood was drawn in the morningfrom fasting patients in the two groups and chemiluminescence immunoassays were used to detect the levels ofCA15-3, CA125 and CEA in serum. The follow-up duration was from 4 months to 2 years, and change in levelsof the indicators was detected by dynamically drawing blood. After surgery, cancer tissue samples of patientsin observation group remained on file (the non-recurrent patients were biopsied). Immunohistochemistry wasapplied to determine the expression of ER, PR and VEGF in tissue. <br/><b>Results</b>: The effective rate of 12 patientswith negative ER and PR expression was 33.3% in the observation group, being associated with prognosis tovarying extents. Serum CA15-3, CA125 and CEA in the observation group were all significantly higher than incontrol group (p<0.01). With increase in pathological staging, levels of serum CA15-3, CA125 and CEA graduallyincreased (p<0.01). Levels in patients with lymph node metastasis were markedly higher than in those without(p<0.01). In addition, values with distal lymph node metastasis were notably higher than with adjacent lymphnode metastasis (p<0.01). The postoperative follow-up results revealed that positive VEGF and levels of serumVEGF, CA15-3, CA125 and CEA in recurrence group were obviously higher than in non-recurrence group(p<0.01). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Joint detection of ER and PR expression as well as levels of serum VEGF, CA15-3, CA125and CEA is meaningful and can guide the diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer.