title: Elevation of preoperative s-CEA concentration in stage IIA colorectal cancer can also be a high risk factor for stage II patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate stage IIA colorectal cancer in terms of recurrence so as to discover whether high preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (s-CEA) levels indicate that the patient should be included in a high-risk group in stage II colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1543 patients with stage IIA colorectal cancer who underwent curative surgery between January 2000 and December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were significantly lower in patients with a higher than normal preoperative s-CEA (90.5% vs. 82.5%, P<0.001, and 92.4% vs. 87.8%, P=0.034, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that elevated preoperative s-CEA level, preoperative obstruction, rectal cancer, and dissection of fewer than 12 nodes were independent statistically significant prognostic factors that predicted disease-free survival in patients with stage IIA disease after curative resection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated preoperative s-CEA concentration is a reliable predictor of recurrence after curative resection in patients with stage IIA colorectal cancer. Patients with stage IIA disease with elevated preoperative s-CEA level do worse than those with normal levels and might constitute a group to evaluate for adjuvant chemotherapy. Further studies on the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy in this group are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Innovative Cancer Research, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Wook
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: In Ja
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seok-Byung
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Chang Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jin Cheon
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen