Background: Tumor abnormal protein (TAP) is now gradually applied for early detection of cancers. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of serum TAP in breast cancer patients with a palpable mass.
Methods: TAP from peripheral blood of 217 breast cancer patients and 222 with benign tumors patients were compared. The relationships between TAP value and clinical parameters of breast cancer patients were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to identify the diagnostic value of TAP.
Results: Higher TAP level was found in breast cancer patients compared with benign patients (P<0.001). TAP was not associated with estrogen receptor, progestogen receptor, her-2 expression, tumor size, and pathological degree, but it was significantly associated with the age, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage (P=0.023, 0.017, and 0.031, respectively). At a cut-off TAP value of 121 μm2, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 59.45%, 63.96%, 61.72%, 61.74%, and 61.73%, respectively.
Conclusion: Serum TAP may be used as a biomarker in breast cancer diagnosis, but receiver operating characteristic curve indicates it may be limited by its sensitivity/specificity characteristics.
Keywords: Biomarker; Breast cancer; Diagnosis; Tumor abnormal protein.
© 2019 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.