Diagnostic and differential efficacy of cyclin D1 and CA15-3 in breast cancer and benign breast tumors

Background: Cyclin D1, a key oncoprotein, promotes cancer cell proliferation and is linked to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. CA15-3, a carbohydrate-containing protein antigen of the transmembrane glycoprotein MUC-1, initially appeared to inhibit tumor cell lysis and reduce cell-cell interactions. Still, limited clinical reports are available to assess their role in early detection of breast cancer. Thus, the current study sought to investigate the diagnostic and differential efficacy of cyclin D1 and CA15-3 in breast cancer and benign breast tumor. This case-control study was conducted between April 2022 and January 2023. Serum samples were collected from 120 participants, including 30 patients with breast cancer, 30 patients with benign breast tumors (BBT), and 60 control subjects. Cyclin D1 and CA15-3 levels were measured using ELISA, and the diagnostic capabilities of each marker were assessed by analyzing the receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: The mean serum CA15-3 level in BC women (38.89±8.63 U/mL) was significantly higher than in BBT women (32.64±8.47 U/mL) and the control group (21.07±8.49 U/mL). The mean serum CA15-3 level in BBT women was also notably higher than that of the control group. Mean serum Cyclin D1 levels were compared between study groups: 0.85±0.15 ng/mL in BC, 0.97 ± 0.21 ng/mL in BBT, and 0.56 ± 0.14 ng/mL in the control group, with significant differences observed among the three groups. Conclusion: Elevated Cyclin D1 levels were found in both BBT and BC patients at early stages, indicating its potential use as a routine diagnostic test. CA15-3 demonstrated the highest concentration in BC patients compared to BBT and control groups, suggesting its utility in the diagnosis and screening of breast cancer.