[Increased carcinoembryonic antigen and absence of recurrence in monitoring colorectal cancer].
Carcinoembryonic antigen has been used to monitor colorectal cancer treated patients, elevated carcinoembryonic antigen allows to predict recurrence however some serum levels is not ever a sign of disease. In a last paper 21% of the colorectal cancer patients treated surgically had not recurrent disease. The aim of the study was to follow these patients for at least one year. Thirty two patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels were studied. Five were excluded and 27 were followed with chest RX, computadorized tomography and colonoscopy. Carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels were measured by ELISA using Sorine Biomedica kit (normal value: 5 ng/ml). Eleven patients (41%) developed recurrence, seven had liver metastasis. The mean time among the elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen and the recurrence was 6.6 months. The recurrence was not observed in 18 patients, the carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels become normal in eight and in the eight others the carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels persisted elevated. Carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels can be elevated before the diagnosis of recurrence, mostly in liver metastasis, however, a number of patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen serum levels do not have a known cause.
Forones
N M
NM
Setor de Oncologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP-EPM. nora@gastro.epm.br
Tanaka
M
M
Machado
D
D
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen