title: CEA fluctuation during a single fluorouracil-based chemotherapy cycle for metastatic colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA) is useful in the evaluation of chemotherapy response of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). We studied weekly CEA during one fluorouracil-based chemotherapy cycle, correlated with long-term (8-12 week interval) computed tomography (CT) and CEA responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  CEA, liver function tests and inflammatory parameters were measured prospectively at baseline, day 7, day 14, and after the cycle (day 21/28), in 60 patients with metastatic CRC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CEA non-significantly decreased at day 7 and was increased on day 14. In progressive disease, CEA increased significantly during the evaluation cycle (55.4 μg/l vs. 148.2 μg/l; p=0.024), but the level was stable in patients with disease control (10.6 μg/l vs. 17.8 μg/l; p=0.58). CEA fluctuation correlated neither with liver function test nor with inflammatory parameters. Correlation of long-term response was most evident in progressive disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEA should not be measured during 5-fluorouracil-based oral chemotherapy nor within two weeks from intravenous chemotherapy administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O. Box 180, FIN-00029 HUS, Finland.
authors.forename: Kethe
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hermunen
authors.forename: Caj
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haglund
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Osterlund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D011799:Quinazolines; D013876:Thiophenes; C068874:raltitrexed; C017367:carmofur; D005472:Fluorouracil