Ca 15-3(Clia)

This assay is useful for predicting early recurrence in women treated for Carcinoma Breast. It is especially useful for serial testing in women with prior Stage II / III breast cancer who are clinically free of disease. CA 15-3 (Cancer antigen 15-3) is a protein produced by normal breast cells. Many patients with cancerous breast tumors produce an increased amount of CA 15-3. CA 15-3 is not responsible for cancer, but instead, it is released by tumor cells and enters the bloodstream after the tumors grow. This CA 15-3 test measures antigen CA 15-3 in the blood. It is commonly known as a tumor marker. The tumor mark is elevated in women who have relapsed breast cancer after treatment. It is needed to monitor the treatment of breast cancer. CA 15-3 test is used to see how well breast cancer treatment is working. To detect recurrence or a return of cancer, the CA 15-3 test is the most important one. The CA 15-3 test value is elevated in about 80% of women whose breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body and fewer women with early symptoms of breast cancer or with a small tumor. Higher CA 15-3 levels are typically related to more advanced stages of breast cancer when the cancer is spread to the liver, bone, etc. Consequently, women with detected breast cancer may not always have high levels of CA 15-3, as there are other conditions too that yield false-positive results for the CA 15-3 test. So it is always important to correlate the CA 15-3 test with a physical examination, blood tests and other diagnostic imaging to avoid false-positive results. Moreover, CA 15-3 is not a first screening diagnostic test for screening breast cancer, as there are chances this may also be elevated in healthy people as well as in individuals suffering from another type of cancer such as colon, lung, prostate, etc.