The tumor marker cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is that most commonly used to monitor metastatic breast cancer during active therapy and surveillance for disease recurrence after treatment. The association of CA 15-3 and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT findings can be considered complementary, since any significant rise may indicate the presence of disease and imaging is able to map the tumor sites. Although current guidelines do not recommend the routine performance of CA 15-3 in asymptomatic patients being followed up after definitive breast cancer treatment, most oncologists perform serial assessment of the tumor markers as part of routine follow-up of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between CA 15-3 levels and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scan findings in patients with recurrent breast cancer. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data collected retrospectively. Patients being evaluated for breast cancer recurrence with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging and CA 15-3 level were included. Evaluation of the association between CA 15-3 levels and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scan findings was then done. Results: In total, 154 cases were included in this study; 62 patients had recurrence (positive) on the ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans, whereas 92 patients had normal (negative) findings on follow-up ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans. There was an association between CA 15-3 levels and the presence or absence of recurrence on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans, with 84.4% (27/32) of patients who had elevated CA 15-3 levels having disease recurrence on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and 84.4% (27/32) of patients who had elevated CA 15-3 levels having disease recurrence on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT as well as a correlation with the burden of metastases. Most patients with disease recurrence on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, however, had normal CA 15-3 levels. Conclusion: Higher CA 15-3 levels correlate with breast cancer recurrence on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT as well as with burden of metastasis. Notably, CA 15-3 levels within the reference range do not exclude breast cancer disease recurrence since more than half of patients with recurrence had normal CA 15-3 levels. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT should therefore be considered in patients with suspected breast cancer recurrence but normal CA 15-3 levels.

Tens of thousands of striking Boeing machinists voted Monday to ratify a new contract, ending their seven-week work stoppage.

Loopholes in international laws governing the use of incendiary weapons in warfare are allowing warring parties in Ukraine and the Middle East to exploit the use of such weapons without adequately protecting civilians.

Veteran quarterback Dak Prescott will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his injured hamstring, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced Tuesday.

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber made an emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri earlier this week after the high-tech aircraft malfunctioned during a training flight.

Distinctive meanings for a word like “risk” can have a big impact on public messaging, especially when it comes to issues like climate change

New blood tests screen for colorectal cancer in a much less invasive way than colonoscopy, but deaths will increase if many people choose this alternative, a new study indicates.

Being a "weekend warrior" -- engaging in exercise once or twice per week -- may be as beneficial as regular sessions in decreasing the risk of cognitive decline that often leads to dementia, a new study concludes.

Experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness as an older adult can spell dire consequences that ultimately may lead to full-blown dementia, according to a new study funded by the National Institute on Aging.

The Biden administration is reportedly considering capping sales of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips from US-based manufacturers like AMD and Nvidia to certain countries, including those in the Middle East.  The […]

The post White House Mulls Expanding AI Chip Export Bans Beyond China appeared first on HPCwire.

The Indiana man accused of killing two teenage girls in a wooded area near Delphi was found guilty on Monday and faces a mid-December sentencing date.

Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier and Allison Tolman discuss the comedy in their harried medical characters on "St. Denis Medical," premiering Tuesday on NBC.

NASA has identified nine possible landing sites for its Artemis III mission in September 2026 that will return astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, the space agency announced Monday.

India is eying a return to the moon in 2028, aiming to collect 6.6 pounds of lunar samples from an area thought to be rich in water and ice near the lunar south pole, the Indian Space Research Organization has announced.

What if your $1 donation could result in a $100 contribution to a cause you believe in? That's the promise of quadratic funding: a new kind of crowdfunding model that uses math to distribute funds based on the number of contributors, rather than the amount given. Gitcoin founder Kevin Owocki dives into the principles and pitfalls of this approach to philanthropy, where "many small donors are more powerful than one large donor."

Billions of dollars are poured into global development every year, but results are lacking, says economist Karthik Muralidharan. Diving into an example with public education, he outlines how smarter resource allocation and evidence-based interventions, like learning software that dynamically responds to students and teaches at the level that's right for them, can accelerate global development worldwide — not by spending more, but by spending smarter.

The case being heard by the Supreme Court next week deals with a debate that has raged since the 19th century about federal education funding for private religious schools.

The lawsuit, filed in 2014, alleges that the state was severely underfunding schools, forcing school districts to lean heavily on property taxes, which especially disadvantages students in property-poor areas.

This map of Rhode Island shows per-pupil spending by school and just how much spending varies among the schools within individual districts.

The new curriculum would teach all students about tribes and Indian culture in North Dakota.

Any discussion in politics of the future of education in Ohio inevitably turns to the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow.

Marc Tucker discusses the work of the Maryland Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Education, with support from NCEE, to update the state's school funding formula and to develop policies and practices to match the performance of the world's top-performing education systems.

The political landscape for updating school finance systems won’t be any easier in the 2020 legislative season, despite a surging economy, state flexibility under ESSA, and single-party control in many states.

Thousands of teachers marched in Annapolis on Monday evening, pushing for higher pay and more resources for their students.

The political landscape for updating school finance systems won’t be any easier in the 2020 legislative season, despite a surging economy, state flexibility under ESSA, and single-party control in many states.

Relying on newly available data under ESSA, a local advocacy group found several districts that spend more money on wealthy students than poor students, despite the state's intentions.

The statewide email to teachers is just the latest chapter in a rocky relationship between Kentucky officials and teachers.

The decision was based on how the voucher-like program is financed, not on the program itself, which is unprecedented in its scope.

Several states this year sought to replace their funding formulas, a monumental fiscal and political feat, but only a handful of legislatures have been able to get proposals to their governors' desks.

Several states this year sought to replace their funding formulas, a monumental fiscal and political feat, but only a handful of legislatures have been able to get proposals to their governors' desks.

North Carolina teachers had press conferences in seven locations across the state to criticize education spending levels.

Writing in dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas said a lower court had disrupted state property tax revenue for schools and other government services.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is not famous for pressuring states into desired outcomes, but did put at least two states' Title I funding on "high-risk" status last year.

A school district in Tennessee says it no longer wants teachers to use crowdfunding websites to get extra school supplies.

The lawsuit alleged that rural districts in the state have been underfunded for years.