Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with intracranial tumors

Abstract

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in plasma, CSF and tumor cyst fluid obtained from patients with a variety of intracranial tumors was determined by radioimmunoassay. Slightly elevated levels of plasma CEA, ranging from 2.6-3.8 ng/ml, were noted in 6 (4%) of 161 patients with primary brain tumors: in 3 gliomas, 2 pineal tumors and 1 acoustic neurinoma, respectively. Of 46 patients with metastatic brain tumors, 17 (37%) showed a definite elevation and most of them had values higher than 5.0 ng/ml. Of 37 patients with primary brain tumors, only 1 with a pineal germinoma showed a significant elevation of CEA in CSF, 8 (44%) of patients with metastatic brain tumors showed high values of CEA in CSF. Six patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis showed elevated CEA in CSF. Levels of CEA in tumor cyst fluid were determined in 17 patients with intracranial tumors, including 12 gliomas, 2 craniopharyngiomas, 2 metastatic tumors and 1 meningioma; elevation of CEA in tumor fluid was noted in 2 craniopharyngiomas and 1 metastatic tumor. Sequential determination of CEA in plasma or CSF revealed that the CEA levels were well correlated with the activity of brain tumors. The determination of CEA in plasma or CSF is valuable for the differential diagnosis between primary and metastatic brain tumors and for the management of CEA-producing tumors.