title: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen in relation to survival, DNA ploidy pattern, and recurrent disease in 406 colorectal carcinoma patients.
abstract: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in relation to survival, flow cytometric DNA ploidy pattern, Dukes stage, and recurrent disease was prospectively evaluated in 406 patients with colorectal carcinoma. In 246 patients (61%) the carcinomas were DNA aneuploid. Increased preoperative CEA levels (> 5 micrograms/l) were found in 151 of 363 evaluable patients (42%). Dukes stage-B patients with preoperative CEA elevation showed significantly poorer prognosis than those with normal CEA values (p = 0.001). A weak but significant correlation was found between preoperative CEA level and Dukes stage (Kendall's tau = 0.25, p < 0.01). Of 50 evaluable patients with clinical recurrence and postoperative normal or normalized CEA levels, 28 (56%) had a rise in CEA before or at the time of clinical recurrence. The sensitivity of the CEA test for primary and for recurrent disease was not significantly different in the DNA aneuploid and the DNA near-diploid groups.
authors: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors: G I
authors: GI
authors: Meling
authors: T O
authors: TO
authors: Rognum
authors: O P
authors: OP
authors: Clausen
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Børmer
authors: O C
authors: OC
authors: Lunde
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Schlichting
authors: O P
authors: OP
authors: Grüner
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hognestad
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Trondsen
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Havig
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm