Preclinical warning of recrudescent mammary cancers by pregnancy-associated alpha-macroglobulin

Abstract

Nine of 30 mammary cancer patients developed metastases during 13–94 months after mastectomy. All 9 patients had elevated blood levels of pregnancy-associated α-macroglobulin (PAM) 1–21 months before conventional detection of metastases. Seven of the clinically well patients had PAM rises exceeding 90 per cent above the baseline and in 4 of these the PAM later fell to lower levels. PAM appears to have potential as an indicator of the growth of micrometastases.