Comparison of serum CEA, PHI, and TPA as tumor markers in breast cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of different serum tumor markers in patients with breast cancer who developed recurrent disease. Determined were tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), carcinoembryonic antigens (CEA), and phosphohexose isomerase (PHI). Serum samples of 411 breast cancer patients with either locoregional or metastatic recurrence were analyzed. Positive rates of all three markers depended on the clinical stage of the disease, with highest rates of elevated titers in advanced disease. In comparison, CEA and TPA are more sensitive markers than PHI. According to the site of recurrence, CEA exhibited the highest rate of elevated titers in patients with bone metastases and PHI in patients with visceral metastases. Using PHI in combination with CEA, sensitivity (ie, at least one marker is elevated) was increased by 6-20% compared to the results obtained with single marker analysis. However, for easier interpretation of the tumor marker results in clinical practice, it may be helpful to employ a product value of CEA and PHI.