Introduction: The Carcinoma Antigen (CA) 15-3 is a protein antigen from the mucin family that contains carbohydrates. It has shown potential as a tumour marker in breast cancer for detection, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy monitoring and assessing disease progression. Elevated CA 15-3 levels may correlate with tumour burden, making it a useful tool in preoperative evaluation. Need of the study: There is a need for reliable, non invasive biomarkers that can support the clinical evaluation of tumour growth in breast cancer. Assessing CA 15-3 levels before surgery may help in predicting tumour behaviour and enhancing the accuracy of preoperative staging. Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of CA 15-3 as a marker of tumour growth in patients with preoperative breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study will be conducted over a span of two years (2023-2025) within the haematology and histopathology segment of the Department of Pathology, in collaboration with the General Surgery and Biochemistry Departments at Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, Maharashtra, India. This study will include 50 female patients diagnosed with breast carcinoma based on biopsy. Each case will be staged according to the Tumour, Node, Metastasis (TNM) classification system. CA 15-3 levels will be measured before surgery using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. Over two years, CA 15-3 levels will be analysed in biopsyconfirmed breast carcinoma cases, with the expectation of finding higher levels in malignant and progressive tumours. The present study aims to validate CA 15-3 as a prognostic biomarker, supporting early detection, tailored treatment and improved patient outcomes. The study will assess the correlation between CA 15-3 levels, histopathological markers and TNM staging in breast carcinoma. It aims to establish CA 15-3 as a cost-effective diagnostic tool and refine treatment protocols. By integrating CA 15-3 with existing markers, the study seeks to improve early detection and personalise treatment strategies for better patient outcomes.
Pande et al. (Fri,) studied this question.