Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal carcinoma

Dis Colon Rectum. 1980 Apr;23(3):141-4. doi: 10.1007/BF02587615.

Abstract

An attempt is made to define the usefulness and limitations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) radioimmunoassay for evaluation of diagnosis, tumor resection, and detection of tumor relapse in 108 patients with colorectal carcinoma. Preoperative CEA levels were correlated with pathologic stage and tumor localizations. Increasing levels of CEA were found with the advanced stage of the disease (stage C and D lesions). Our results indicate that 1) an incomplete drop in circulating CEA level one month after surgery is a bad prognostic sign and 2) relapses of colonic and rectal carcinoma can be detected by increased CEA levels months before the appearance of any clinical evidence.

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen / analysis*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / blood
  • Colonic Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Humans
  • Monitoring, Physiologic
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / blood
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / diagnosis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Rectal Neoplasms / blood
  • Rectal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Rectal Neoplasms / surgery

Substances

  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen