Early detection of recurrent mono-metastases of breast cancer to endocrine tissues by following CEA levels

CEA and CA 15-3 are the most commonly used biological markers for detection of recurrences and metastases of breast carcinoma. According to the literature CA 15-3 is the more sensitive of the two markers. Herein, we describe a case of a 50-year old woman with breast cancer, who had multiple mono recurrence of endocrine organ metastases. The CEA levels, rather than CA 15-3, proved to be the more accurate predictor of her disease recurrence. We describe the unique behaviour of her carcinoma, which emphasizes our opinion that the combination of CEA and CA 15-3 could be used to rule out recurrences or metastases of breast cancer.