PSA Levels and Breast Cancer Treatment Response
Author Information
Author(s): Foekens J A, Diamandis E P, Yu H, Look M P, Gelder M E Meijer-van, Klijn J G M
Primary Institution: Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hypothesis
Does the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in breast tumor cytosol correlate with prognosis in primary breast cancer or response to tamoxifen therapy in recurrent disease?
Conclusion
High levels of PSA in recurrent breast cancer are linked to a poor response to tamoxifen therapy and shorter survival.
Supporting Evidence
- Low PSA levels were found in larger tumors and in older, post-menopausal patients.
- PSA was not significantly related to the rate of relapse in primary breast cancer.
- In recurrent breast cancer, high PSA levels were linked to poor response to tamoxifen.
Takeaway
This study found that high PSA levels in breast cancer patients can mean that tamoxifen treatment might not work well for them.
Methodology
PSA levels were measured in breast tumor cytosols using ELISA and correlated with patient outcomes.
Participant Demographics
1516 patients with primary breast cancer and 434 patients with recurrent disease.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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