CANCER ANTIGEN (CA15-3):
Why Cancer Antigen (CA15-3) Test?
CLINICAL INFORMATION
CA15-3 is a protein (Y-shaped protein, is a mucinous antigen which has a large molecular weight glycoprotein with O-linked oligosaccharide chains) released into the bloodstream by breast cancer, certain other cancers (liver cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer) and also in certain non-cancerous conditions. Tumor-associated antigens encoded by the human MUC-1 gene are also called MAM6, Milk Mucin Antigen, Cancer Antigen (CA)27 29, and Cancer Antigen – Breast: CA 15-3. The biomarker Cancer Antigen CA15-3 test is performed to screen/monitor carcinoma of the breast (not all breast cancers produce CA15-3 antigens or patients with breast cancer may have normal levels of CA15-3 or shows low sensitivity, hence breast cancer patient’s CA 15-3 levels does not seem to elevate or its increase goes undetected due to decreased sensitivity and on the contrary 20% positive results (Even under normal physiological conditions like pregnancy, breastfeeding the CA 15-3 levels can be elevated and certain medications and supplements such as biotin can interfere with the test result, hence may reflect false-positive results) may have non-cancerous underlying pathologies such as acute hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, benign breast conditions, endometriosis, lupus, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis and pelvic inflammatory disease – sexually transmitted disease) , hence this screening test is not reliable, thus needs additional tests for its confirmation. Cancer antigen CA15-3 is one of the several substances classified as tumor markers, which may increase (80% of breast cancer patients shows a positive tumor marker antigen CA15-3level elevation) as a malignancy progresses (helps in the staging of cancer, also, in addition, HER2 status testing has to be performed to confirm metastasis – spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body mainly to bone or liver or both) and these levels decrease as tumor responds to chemotherapy/radiation therapy (prognosis and for effective treatment modalities to prevent from further progression – Cancer Regression) and, breast cancer recurrence, etc (since the false impression of cancer progression or recurrence may arise due to non-cancerous conditions also due to its non-specificity, in the prognosis of cancer patient’s confirmatory studies is mandatory along with conjunction with other supporting tests for evidence and clinical methods for confirmation of diagnosis). Other tests are mammograms etc
General Instructions:
Sample Requirement: Specimen - Blood sample collected from the vein. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presenting complaints/signs or symptoms:
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
Sample Requirement: Blood Sample taken from the vein
Test Preparation: None
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory RT DIAGNOSTICS provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centers to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
