Roole of carcinoembryonic antigen in bronchial carcinoma.
Open Access
- 1 October 1977
- Vol. 32 (5), 582-588
- https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.32.5.582
Abstract
It has been reported that lung cancer patients often have raised carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels but the significance of this in diagnosis and follow-up has yet to be established. The results of 256 preoperative investigations in patients with lung cancer are reported. Sequential values after radical surgery and chemotherapy and immunotherapy have been performed in 57 patients during treatment and outpatient follow-up. Ninety-nine per cent of preoperative values were more than 5 ng/ml and 41% greater than 15 ng/ml. Only 6% reached diagnostic levels for malignancy (greater than 52ng/ml) and adenocarcinomas formed 47% (7 out of 15) of these. Sequential estimation in patients during and after treatment showed fluctuations which were related to disease status in 7 (32%) of 22 who have developed secondary disease. In three patients levels of greater than 50 ng/ml preceded clinical evidence of recurrence, and two patients have developed very high levels but have not yet developed other evidence of recurrent disease. It is concluded that raised CEA levels in lung cancer are infrequent, but in those patients who have or develop raised levels sequential investigation may be of value in monitoring response to treatment and clinical coourse.Keywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- ANTIBODY DRUG SYNERGISM - ASSESSMENT OF SPECIFIC PASSIVE IMMUNOTHERAPY IN BRONCHIAL-CARCINOMA1977
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen: Characterization and Clinical ApplicationsImmunological Reviews, 1974
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assayA laboratory adjunct in the diagnosis and management of cancerHuman Pathology, 1974
- INCREASED CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN IN HEAVY CIGARETTE SMOKERSThe Lancet, 1973
- Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with carcinoma of the lungThe Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 1973
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in non digestive cancerous and normal tissuesImmunochemistry, 1973
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): Demonstration of a partial identify between CEA and a normal glycoproteinImmunochemistry, 1972
- Identification of an Antigen from Normal Human Tissue That Crossreacts with the Carcinoembryonic AntigenProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1972
- THE RADIOIMMUNOASSAY OF CIRCULATING CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN OF THE HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEMProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1969
- DEMONSTRATION OF TUMOR-SPECIFIC ANTIGENS IN HUMAN COLONIC CARCINOMATA BY IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE AND ABSORPTION TECHNIQUESThe Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1965