[Usefulness of CA 15-3 for ten years follow-up of a patient with invasive breast cancer].

This clinical report illustrates the usefulness of routine CA 15.3 assay during the follow-up of patients treated for invasive breast cancer. This patient presented an isolated elevation of CA 15.3 eighteen months after initial treatment of inflammatory breast cancer. The scientific committee for breast cancer decided to modify the hormonotherapy, even without clinical or radiological event (tomodensitometry, echography, scintigraphy). The prompt CA 15.3 normalization persisted for more than seven years. When CA 15.3 levels increased again, a positron emission tomodensitometry was performed and revealed pulmonary nodes. The sole modification of hormone treatment, based upon isolated increase of CA 15.3, led to seven years of clinical and biological stability for our patient with probable pulmonary metastases.