Predictive value of plasma CEA in patients with colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

Two years follow‐up of 46 patients with colorectal carcinoma resected “for cure” shows that of the nine patients with an elevated (10 ng/ml, the proportion of patients with disease progression increased to 87.5% (7/8). When a patient with a history of colorectal cancer, but seemingly free of disease, presents with levels not only repeatedly above normal (>5 ng/ml) but above the levels found in some nonmalignant conditions (>10 ng/ml), thorough re‐examination of the patient to locate the site of possible disease progression is indicated. In 14 such patients further diagnostic methods showed local recurrences in four, metastasis limited to the liver in six, and other metastasis in four. In conclusion, in patients with colorectal carcinoma post operative elevated CEA plasma levels are a sign of poor prognosis. Consistently elevated CEA levels (> 10 ng/ml) are a stong indication of disease progression.