title: No correlation between pretreatment serum CEA levels and tumor volume in locally advanced rectal cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels reflect tumor volume in rectal cancer patients intrapersonally, it is unclear interpersonally. We determined the correlation between pretreatment serum CEA levels and tumor volume.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 489 patients with locally advanced primary rectal cancer who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery between October 2001 and April 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. CEA levels were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, and magnetic resonance (MR) volumetry was performed using MR data. The correlation between CEA levels and tumor volume was assessed using linear regression analysis and one-way analysis of variance. The prognostic values of CEA levels and tumor volume for survival were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant correlation between CEA levels and tumor volume. The five-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 89.0%, 80.6% and 82.9%, and 72.0%, 70.0% and 60.3% in patients with CEA levels of ≤3 ng/ml, >3-10 ng/ml, and >10 ng/ml, respectively. Tumor volume had no prognostic value for either overall survival or disease-free survival
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment serum CEA levels were not correlated with tumor volume. While there was no correlation between tumor volume and survival, there was a positive correlation between CEA levels and survival.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon-Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Hee Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ji Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Min Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen