Predictive value of serum anti-p53 antibodies, carcino-embryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 15-3, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 in taxane-based and anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer patients

Breast carcinoma is the most common malignancy in Chinese women. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of serum anti-p53 antibodies (p53 Abs), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 15-3, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 in taxane-based and anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Sixty-eight patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma were included. Thirty-two were treated with taxane (the taxane group) and 36 with anthracycline (the anthracycline group). The standard dosage of docetaxel was 100 mg/m(2) (day 1) and those of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and 5-flurouracil were 500 mg/m(2) (day 1 - 8), 40 mg/m(2) (day 1) and 500 mg/m(2) (day 1 - 8), respectively. The p53 Abs were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; CEA and CA15-3 were detected by Elecsys 2010 Disc System; ER, PR and HER-2 were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The biomarkers p53 Abs, CEA and CA15-3 were detected in serum samples, and the immunohistochemistry staining for ER, PR and HER-2 was performed in tumor samples before and after NAC. The expression of p53 Abs was significantly reduced by taxane (P=0.006). The serum CEA and CA15-3 levels were significantly affected by both taxane (P=0.004 and P=0.008) and anthracycline (P=0.002 and P=0.000) drugs. HER-2-negative status (pre-neoadjuvant) was correlated with a high objective response rate (OR) in both taxane-based and anthracycline-based chemotherapy (P=0.022 and P=0.025), whereas p53 Ab-negative status (pre-neoadjuvant) was correlated with high OR rate in anthracycline-based chemotherapy (P=0.039). This study shows that the serum p53 Ab level is easily changed by taxane. CEA and CA15-3 levels are easily changed by taxane and anthracycline. The p53 Ab-negative patients may predict a high clinical OR rate in anthracycline-based NAC. HER-2-negative may predict a high OR in both taxane-based and anthracycline-based NAC.