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CA 15-3 (CA153)

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EPIC Test Name

CANCER ANTIGEN 15-3

EPIC Code

LAB776

Specimen Requirements

plasma
Minimum Volume:0.5 mL
Collection:Collect using standard laboratory procedures
Transport:Room Temperature ASAP
Stability:Refrigerated: 5 days at 2-8 degrees C
Frozen: 3 months at -20 degrees C
Container:LIT-GRN
Processing/Storage:Centrifuge pour off and freeze.
Rejection Causes:Hemolysis,
Insufficient Sample Volume, lipemic samples

Methods

Electrochemiluminescence

Turnaround Time

SpecimenTurnaround TimeFrequency
plasma5 daysRun Tuesdays and Fridays

Reference Ranges

Electrochemiluminescence
All RangeUnit
<30 U/mLU/mL

Clinical Indications

Carcinoma of the breast often produces mucinous antigens, large molecular weight glycoproteins with O-linked oligosaccharide chains. The antigens are encoded by the human MUC-1 gene and are also known as MAM6, milk mucin antigen, cancer antigen (CA 27.29), and CA 15-3. Normally, the antigens can be observed in the luminal secretion of glandular cells and
do not circulate in the blood. In malignancy, cancerous cells basal membranes become permeable, the antigens are detectable in patients’ serum/plasma samples. Overexpression of CA 15‑3 involves and plays an important role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition, a phenomenon of cancer invasive behavior. CA 15‑3 levels can be used in prediction of disease-free and overall survival in Luminal B breast cancer.

CA 15-3 values are usually not elevated in healthy individuals, but are often elevated in breast cancer patients’ samples. CA 15-3 values increase have also been seen in patients with nonmammary malignancies, e.g., lung, colon, pancreas, primary liver, ovary, cervix, and endometrium.

Additional Information

• CA 15-3 test should be ordered in conjunction with other clinical methods used for the early detection of recurrence.
• Cautions should be exercised in the interpretation of the test results for patients who have been exposed to mouse antigens, e.g., environmentally or as part of treatment or imaging procedures. Existence of antimouse antibodies in the patient body interfere with the assay reagents to produce unreliable CA 15-3 results.

Common Synonyms

CA153

Performed

Lab
Chemistry - Community

Interpretative Information

Increasing and decreasing values may indicate disease progression and regression, respectively. Increasing CA 15-3 values in patients at risk for breast cancer recurrence after primary therapy may indicate recurrent disease before being detected clinically, suggesting additional tests or procedures be performed.

CPT

86316

LOINC

6875-9

References

1. Brockhausen I, Yang JM, Burchell J, et al. Mechanisms underlying aberrant glycosylation of MUC1 mucin in breast cancer cells. Eur J Biochem. 1995;233:607-17.
2. Sekine H, Ohno T, Kufe DW. Purification and characterization of a high molecular weight glycoprotein detectable in human milk and breast carcinomas. J Immunol 1985;135:3610-5.
3. Ponnusamy MP, Seshacharyulu P, Lakshmanan I, et al. Emerging role of mucins in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Curr cancer drug targets 2013;13:945-56.
4. Shao Y, Sun X, He Y, et al. Elevated levels of serum tumor markers CEA and CA15-3 are prognostic parameters for different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. PLoS ONE 2015;10(7):e0133830. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133830.
5. Cardoso F, Harbeck N, Fallowfield L, Kyriakides S, Senkus E; ESMO Guidelines Working Group. Locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2012;23 Suppl 7:vii11-9. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mds232. PMID: 22997442.

Contact Information

Chemistry - Community: (315)492-5531
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