Synonyms: CA 15-3 Why It Is Done When you have been or are being treated for invasive breast cancer. CA 15-3 sometimes also is used to give a doctor additional information about where the cancer may have spread (such as into the bones or the liver) and a general sense of how much cancer may be present. Test Overview Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is a normal product of breast cells; it is produced by a gene that is often over-expressed (i.e., the body makes too many copies) in cancerous breast tumors, leading to an increased production of CA 15-3 and the related Cancer antigen 27.29. CA 15-3 also may be elevated in healthy people and in individuals with other cancers, conditions, or diseases, such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cirrhosis, hepatitis, and benign breast disease. CA 15-3 is not sensitive or specific enough to be considered useful as a tool for cancer screening. Its main use is as a tumor marker to monitor a patient’s response to breast cancer treatment and to watch for breast cancer recurrence How To Prepare No special preparation is required before having this test |
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