Usefulness of Traditional Serum Biomarkers for Management of Breast Cancer Patients

Table 2

Studies proving the usefulness of performing PETCT scan on patients during followup with rising tumor markers for the detection of cancer lesions undetectable by conventional morphological imaging.

Study/year	Results	Remarks	Tumor markers	Reference
Filippi et al. Nucl Med Commun. 2011	FDG PETCT was positive in 36 out of 46 patients with rising biomarkers	The FDG-PET/CT scan plays an important role in restaging breast cancer patients with rising tumor markers and negative or equivocal findings in conventional imaging techniques	CEA and CA15-3	[58]
Evangelista et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2011	PETCT scan analysis was positive in 30 out of 40 patients with elevated tumor marker	FDG PETCT is more sensitive than CT for the evaluation of disease relapse; PETCT might be considered a complementary imaging technique during followup in patients with breast cancer	CA15-3	[59]
Champion et al. Cancer 2011	PETCT scans were positive in 181 patients (79.5%) and normal in 47 patients with rising CA15-3 and/or CEA	FDG PETCT imaging is an efficient technique to detect breast cancer recurrence suspected on tumor marker rising in asymptomatic patients	CEA and CA15-3	[60]
Grassetto et al. Eur J Radiol. 2011	Tumor deposits were detected in 40/89 patients by FDG PETCT	FDG PETCT may have a potential role in asymptomatic patients with rising markers and negative conventional imaging	CA15-3	[61]
Katayama et al. Ann Nucl Med. 2012	PETCT scan analysis was positive in 23 out of 47 patients with elevated tumor marker	The change in the tumor marker levels was substantially correlated with the PET findings and moderately correlated with the CT findings	CEA, I-CTP, CA15-3, BCA225, and NCC-ST-439	[62]