Efficiency of Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in the Detection of Breast Cancer in Amnat Charoen Hospital
Keywords:
Breast Cancer, Recurrence, CEA, Tumor Marker, SurveillanceAbstract
Background: Breast cancer is a significant public health concern. Recurrence surveillance commonly relies on physical examination in combination with tumor markers, particularly carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). However, the effectiveness of CEA in patient follow-up remains controversial.
Objective: To investigate the association between serum CEA levels and breast cancer recurrence, and to evaluate the predictive performance of CEA in various patient subgroups.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 200 breast cancer patients, divided into two groups of 100 patients each: one group was followed up using physical examination alone, and the other group was followed up using both physical examination and CEA testing. Patients were monitored every 3 months over 5 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Patients with CEA levels ≥10.0 ng/mL had a 3.17 times higher risk of recurrence than those with CEA levels <5.0 ng/mL (95% CI: 1.92–5.24). Changes in CEA levels were detected on average 3.2 months before clinical diagnosis. The highest performance of CEA was observed in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, stage III disease, and hormone receptor-negative status.
Conclusion: CEA is an effective tumor marker for monitoring breast cancer recurrence, particularly in high-risk groups. It can potentially be developed into a personalized follow-up strategy for different patient subgroups in general hospital settings.
Keywords: Breast Cancer, Recurrence, CEA, Tumor Marker, Surveillance
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