Baseline staging tests in primary breast cancer
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* Joseph Watine

I have 2 questions for Robert Myers and colleagues concerning their recent practice guideline on baseline staging tests in primary breast cancer.1 What do they call “biochemical evidence of metastases?” Which marker(s) and cut-off(s) do they suggest be used? Answers to these questions might make their guideline evidence-based, as far as laboratory medicine is concerned.

## Reference

1.  1. Myers RE, Johnston M, Pritchard K, Levine M, Oliver T, and the Breast Cancer Disease Site Group of the Cancer Care Ontario Practice Guidelines Initiative. Baseline staging tests in primary breast cancer: a practice guideline. CMAJ 2001;164(10):1439-44.
    
    [Abstract/FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czoxMToiMTY0LzEwLzE0MzkiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL2NtYWovMTY1LzEwLzEzMDEuMS5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=)