title: [Value and limits of the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in postoperative evaluation of patients with colonic and rectal carcinomas].
abstract: An attempt is made to define the usefulness and limitations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) radioimmunoassay for evaluation of tumor resection and detection of tumor relapse in patients with large-bowel carcinoma. In 45 patients for whom complete tumor resection was reported, all but 5 showed a drop in CEA to normal values after surgery. The 5 patients whose CEA did not fall to below 5 ng/ml showed a subsequent rise in CEA level and later were all found to have a tumor relapse. The results indicate that an incomplete drop in circulating CEA level one month after surgery is a bad prognostic sign. Twenty-two of these patients were followed up by repeated CEA radioimmunoassay for several months after surgery; 8 showed a progressive increase in CEA levels preceding clinical diagnosis of tumor relapse by 2-10 months. The clinical history of these 8 patients is briefly described. The results demonstrate that relapses of colon and rectum carcinoma can be detected by increased CEA levels months before the appearance of any clinical evidence.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen
vernacular_title: Utilité et limites du dosage de l'antigène carcinoembryonnaire (CEA) dans la surveillance postopératoire de malades atteints de carcinomes du côlon et du rectum