title: Carcinoembryonic antigen and patterns of recurrence after curative resection of the colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The influence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on patterns of recurrence after curative surgery in colorectal cancer was uncertain. We investigated the differences in the patterns of recurrence between the patients with elevated and normal preoperative serum CEA level.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed in 384 patients with primary colorectal adenocarcinoma of Dukes' classification A to C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Dukes' C2 rectal cancer, hepatic and local recurrence rates were higher in the patients with >10 ng/mL of CEA than those were in the patients with < or = 5 ng/mL of CEA (p=0.028, p=0.049, respectively). Time to recurrence at lung was earlier in the patients with > 10 ng/mL of CEA than that was in the patients with < or = 5 ng/mL of CEA (p=0.0008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Dukes' C2 rectal cancer patients with elevated preoperative serum CEA level, new options for adjuvant therapy should be evaluated as 1st line of therapy and special attention should be given to recurrence in liver during the early postoperative surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-792, Korea.
authors.forename: Ju Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kang Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen