[Clinical significance of serum CEA determination in the diagnosis of colo-rectal cancer]

Abstract

Serum CEA levels of 581 specimens obtained from 350 colo-rectal cancer patients and 61 specimens from 54 non-tumor subjects were determined by sandwich method of CEA-EIA McAb kit supplied by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products. In patients with primary colo-rectal cancer, the serum CEA level was 15.0 +/- 52.1 ng/ml and 37.9% of patients gave a CEA level greater than 5 ng/ml. In recurrent colo-rectal cancer patients, serum CEA increased to 124.2 +/- 454.8 ng/ml with a positive rate of 78.0%. Both the CEA value and the positive rate of patients in clinically tumor-free period after surgery were 2.9 +/- 2.2 ng/ml and 16.5%, respectively. Serial follow-up CEA assays in selected cases were helpful to reflect the clinical status. Generally, CEA is useful to predict prognosis and to guide follow-up management.