Other names: Cancer Antigen 15-3, Cancer Antigen (CA) 15-3, CA 153
Optimal Result:
0 - 31 U/mL.
Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is a tumor marker used to monitor the response to breast cancer treatment and detect disease recurrence. The reference range of serum CA 15-3 is typically less than 30 U/mL, but the upper limit varies based on the specific laboratory and test kit used. It's important to note that results obtained from different assay kits, methods, or laboratories should not be used interchangeably.
CA 15-3 levels are commonly employed to monitor metastatic breast cancer during active therapy. However, these levels must be used in conjunction with the patient's history, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging. A decrease in marker levels during treatment may indicate a positive response to therapy, while stable or increasing levels despite adequate treatment may suggest treatment failure or disease recurrence.
Additionally, CA 15-3 measurement can be used to survey disease recurrence after treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In cases without measurable disease, an increase in CA 15-3 levels could indicate treatment failure. However, it's worth noting that CA 15-3 levels can temporarily rise during the first 4-6 weeks of starting therapy, and this transient rise usually does not correlate with disease progression.
Higher CA 15-3 levels have been associated with more advanced stages of breast cancer or larger tumor burden. When the tumor produces CA 15-3, marker levels will increase as the tumor grows. The highest levels of CA 15-3 are often observed in metastatic breast cancer, especially when metastases are present in the liver or bones. However, CA 15-3 can be low or absent in some cases since not all breast cancers produce this marker, and early-stage breast cancers may not have detectable CA 15-3 levels. As a result, normal CA 15-3 levels do not guarantee the absence of localized or metastatic breast cancer.
Studies have shown that in 62% of patients treated for early breast cancer in whom metastases were found, CA 15-3 levels were above 30 U/mL at the time of metastases discovery. In 37% of patients, the higher CA 15-3 level was the first sign leading to the diagnosis of metastases, with liver and bone metastases being the most common.
It's essential to consider that elevated CA 15-3 levels can also be seen in healthy individuals, as well as in benign and other malignant conditions. Consequently, elevated levels need to be interpreted within the context of the patient's medical history, physical examination, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory workup.
While CA 15-3 testing can provide valuable information in monitoring response to treatment and detecting disease recurrence, it has limitations. The sensitivity of CA 15-3 is low in early-stage breast cancer, and it may not be detected in all breast cancers. Moreover, its overall specificity is limited, making it challenging to reliably screen, diagnose, or stage breast cancer based solely on CA 15-3 levels.
In conclusion, CA 15-3 is a useful marker for monitoring breast cancer treatment response and detecting disease recurrence, particularly in cases of metastatic breast cancer. However, it should be used in combination with other clinical and imaging assessments for a comprehensive evaluation of the patient's condition. Furthermore, its limitations should be considered when interpreting the results, and more research is needed to explore its full clinical utility and impact on patient outcomes.
References:
De Cock L, Heylen J, Wildiers A, Punie K, Smeets A, Weltens C, Neven P, Billen J, Laenen A, Wildiers H. Detection of secondary metastatic breast cancer by measurement of plasma CA 15.3. ESMO Open. 2021 Aug;6(4):100203. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100203. Epub 2021 Jul 13. PMID: 34271308; PMCID: PMC8282974.
Bon GG et al. Clinical and technical evaluation of ACS™BR serum assay of MUC1 gene-derived glycoprotein in breast cancer, and comparison with CA 15-3 assays. Clinical Chemistry. 1997. 43(4):585-593.
Wu JT. Expression of monoclonal antibody-defined tumor markers in four carcinomas. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1989 Jan-Feb;19(1):17-26. PMID: 2916833.
Duffy MJ, Shering S, Sherry F, McDermott E, O'Higgins N. CA 15-3: a prognostic marker in breast cancer. Int J Biol Markers. 2000 Oct-Dec;15(4):330-3. doi: 10.1177/172460080001500410. PMID: 11192829.
Klee GG, Schreiber WE. MUC1 gene-derived glycoprotein assays for monitoring breast cancer (CA 15-3, CA 27.29, BR): are they measuring the same antigen? Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2004 Oct;128(10):1131-5. doi: 10.5858/2004-128-1131-MGGAFM. PMID: 15387710.
Harris L, Fritsche H, Mennel R, Norton L, Ravdin P, Taube S, Somerfield MR, Hayes DF, Bast RC Jr; American Society of Clinical Oncology. American Society of Clinical Oncology 2007 update of recommendations for the use of tumor markers in breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Nov 20;25(33):5287-312. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.14.2364. Epub 2007 Oct 22. PMID: 17954709.
Ebeling FG, Stieber P, Untch M, Nagel D, Konecny GE, Schmitt UM, Fateh-Moghadam A, Seidel D. Serum CEA and CA 15-3 as prognostic factors in primary breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2002 Apr 22;86(8):1217-22. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6600248. PMID: 11953875; PMCID: PMC2375330.
Wang G, Qin Y, Zhang J, Zhao J, Liang Y, Zhang Z, Qin M, Sun Y. Nipple discharge of CA15-3, CA125, CEA and TSGF as a new biomarker panel for breast cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2014 May 28;15(6):9546-65. doi: 10.3390/ijms15069546. PMID: 24879526; PMCID: PMC4100109.
Kokko R, Holli K, Hakama M. Ca 15-3 in the follow-up of localised breast cancer: a prospective study. Eur J Cancer. 2002 Jun;38(9):1189-93. doi: 10.1016/s0959-8049(01)00429-4. PMID: 12044504.
Nicolini A, Tartarelli G, Carpi A, Metelli MR, Ferrari P, Anselmi L, Conte M, Berti P, Miccoli P. Intensive post-operative follow-up of breast cancer patients with tumour markers: CEA, TPA or CA15.3 vs MCA and MCA-CA15.3 vs CEA-TPA-CA15.3 panel in the early detection of distant metastases. BMC Cancer. 2006 Nov 20;6:269. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-6-269. PMID: 17116247; PMCID: PMC1684262.
Kruse V, Van de Wiele C, Borms M, Maes A, Pottel H, Sathekge M, Cocquyt V. CA 15.3 measurements for separating FDG PET/CT positive from negative findings in breast carcinoma recurrence. Factors influencing the area under the ROC curve. Nuklearmedizin. 2014 Aug 6;53(4):131-8. doi: 10.3413/Nukmed-0634-13-12. PMID: 25100557.
Cervino AR, Saibene T, Michieletto S, Ghiotto C, Bozza F, Saladini G, Evangelista L. Correlation between cancer antigen 15.3 value and qualitative and semiquantitative parameters of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in breast cancer patients. Curr Radiopharm. 2014;7(1):20-8. doi: 10.2174/1874471007666140515111134. PMID: 24836946.
Nicolini A, Carpi A, Ferrari P, Morganti R, Mazzotti V, Barak V, Duffy MJ. An individual reference limit of the serum CEA-TPA-CA 15-3 tumor marker panel in the surveillance of asymptomatic women following surgery for primary breast cancer. Cancer Manag Res. 2018 Dec 13;10:6879-6886. doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S177522. PMID: 30588093; PMCID: PMC6300365.
Heylen J, Punie K, Smeets A, Neven P, Weltens C, Laenen A, Wildiers H. Elevated CA 15.3 in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Study. Clin Breast Cancer. 2022 Aug;22(6):579-587. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2022.04.007. Epub 2022 Apr 30. PMID: 35668001.
Sturgeon C. Practice guidelines for tumor marker use in the clinic. Clin Chem. 2002 Aug;48(8):1151-9. PMID: 12142367.
Elevation of CA 15-3 levels can be seen in healthy individuals, in benign conditions, and in other malignant conditions. However, CA 15-3 levels tend to remain relatively stable over time in benign conditions; thus, elevated levels need to be interpreted within the context of the patient’s history and physical examination, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory workup.
Benign causes of elevated CA 15-3 levels are as follows:
→ Chronic hepatitis
→ Liver cirrhosis
→ Tuberculosis
→ Sarcoidosis
→ Benign breast disease
→ Pelvic inflammatory disease
→ Endometriosis
→ Systemic lupus erythematosus
→ Lactation and pregnancy
Malignant causes of elevated CA 15-3 levels are as follows:
→ Small cell lung cancer
→ Non-small cell lung cancer
→ Liver cancer
→ Colon cancer
→ Ovarian cancer
→ Endometrial cancer
→ Pancreatic cancer
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Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
About membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
Easily upload lab results from any provider, whether it's a hospital, independent lab, or home testing service. We support PDFs, scanned documents, and JPEGs from patient portals. No need to log in to multiple platforms — everything is centralized in one secure space.
Easily upload lab results from any provider — we support PDFs, scans, and images. Keep all your reports organized in one secure place.
See Your Health Timeline
Every lab result is automatically organized on a chronological timeline, giving you a complete picture of your health journey. Whether you're tracking a condition, managing treatments, or staying proactive, the timeline helps you and your doctor understand how things progress over time.
Every lab result is automatically organized on a chronological timeline, giving you a complete picture of your health journey.
Understand What Your Results Mean
Whether it's a blood test, GI panel, urinalysis, or something else, lab reports measure numerous biomarkers that reveal what's happening inside your body. Our extensive database covers over 10,000 biomarkers, providing clear, simple explanations of what each result means and how you can take action—no matter your membership level. Say goodbye to confusion and get the insights you need to better understand your health.
Our database covers over 10,000 biomarkers with clear, simple explanations—so you can finally understand your results and what to do next.
Enter Your Lab Reports Yourself — Always Free
Enter Your Lab Reports — Always Free
If you'd like to handle inputting your health data into your account, you can do so with our easy-to-use data entry forms. Our user-friendly form is designed to guide you through the quick and easy submission process, making it simple to keep track of your health metrics. This is available to both Complete plan and Unlimited plan members.
Our user-friendly form guides you through a quick, simple submission process, making it easy to enter your health metrics.
Add your results anytime with our easy entry form. It's quick, guided, and helps you stay organized — free for all members.
Visualize Your Results
View your lab data through easy-to-read graphs and tables. Quickly spot patterns, track changes, and compare results across different dates — all without digging through multiple reports. You can also select and compare graphs of specific biomarkers side-by-side to better understand how they relate and change over time.
See your lab reports in clear graphs and tables. Spot patterns, track changes, and compare results over time — all in one place.
Export Your Complete Lab History in a Single File
Export Your Complete Lab History
After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file. Choose from PDF, Excel, or CSV formats to easily review, share, or get a second opinion—no more juggling multiple reports.
After collecting lab results from different providers, you can download your entire history combined into a single file.
Comprehensive Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest. Complete plan members receive one report entered for free, then $15 per report after that. Unlimited plan members receive ten report entries for free, then $15 per report after that.
Our inclusive service handles the data entry for your lab reports. Just submit your information and we'll take care of the rest.
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Whether you're working with a doctor, nutritionist, caregiver, or wellness coach, you can securely share your complete lab history by sending an invite link to anyone you trust. You have full control over who sees your information and for how long, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind at every step.
Share your full lab history with your doctor, nutritionist, or coach using a secure invite link.
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I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you're on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
The Complete Plan ($15/month) is perfect for individuals who want ongoing access to their health data. It includes unlimited lab imports, visual tracking, custom ranges, result explanations, full account exports, and secure sharing — all with a simple monthly subscription. You can cancel anytime and restart your plan whenever you're ready — your data will still be there waiting for you. You can also upgrade to the Unlimited Plan at any time, with the cost prorated based on what you've already paid.
The Unlimited Plan ($250 one-time) is also designed for individuals but offers lifetime access with no ongoing subscription. You'll get all the same features as the Complete Plan, plus a larger initial data entry allowance (10 reports), making it a great choice if you prefer a one-time payment and long-term use without monthly fees.
In short:
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our Data Entry Service is for when you don't want to manually type in your lab results yourself. You simply upload your report (PDF, image, or screenshot), and our trained team enters the information into your Healthmatters account for you — accurately and neatly organized, ready to view in graphs, tables, and timelines.
The $15 per report covers the time and care it takes for a real person to review your file, make sure each result is entered correctly, and double-check for accuracy. This ensures your health data is precise and easy to work with — without you having to spend the time doing it yourself.
Prefer to do it yourself? You can always use our free self-entry tool to add results manually — it just takes a bit more time and attention.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
All professional accounts allow you to import and onboard an unlimited number of clients and their lab results. The distinction between professional plans lies solely in the data entry service.
The Pro Monthly Plus plan is priced at $75 per month and includes a data entry service for five reports each month. Additional reports can be self-entered at no extra cost or, if preferred, you can use our data entry service for an additional fee of $15 per report.
The Pro Monthly plan is priced at $45 per month and does not include a data entry service. Self-entry is free for an unlimited number of reports, and you can opt for the data entry service at a fee of $15 per report.
You also have the option to upgrade to higher monthly or to annual plans, which come with substantial discounts. All upgrades can be done directly from your account.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download your information anytime. We offer two easy ways to export your lab data:
This makes it simple to save, back up, or share your health data whenever you need.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
