title: Role of blood tumor markers in predicting metastasis and local recurrence after curative resection of colon cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prognostic value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA199, CA724 and CA242 in peripheral blood and local draining venous blood in colon cancer patients after curative resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  92 colon cancer patients who received curative resection were retrospectively analyzed. The CEA, CA199, CA724 and CA242 were detected in peripheral blood and local draining venous blood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Metastasis or local recurrence was found in 29 (29/92, 31.5%) patients during follow-up period. 92 patients were divided into two groups: metastasis/local recurrence group (n = 29) and non-metastasis/local recurrence group (n = 63). Peripheral venous CEA, CA199, CA724 and CA242 (p-CEA, p-CA199, p-CA724 and p-CA242) were comparable between two groups (P > 0.05). The median draining venous CEA (d-CEA) in metastases/local recurrence group (23.7 ± 6.9 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in non-metastases/local recurrence group (18.1 ± 6.3 ng/ml; P < 0.05), but marked differences were not observed in draining venous CA199, CA724 and CA242 (d-CA199, d-CA724 and d-CA242) between two groups (P > 0.05). The optimal cut-off value of d-CEA was 2.76 ng/ml, with the sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 40% in the prediction of metastasis or local recurrence, respectively. d-CEA correlated with tumor differentiation, T stage, TNM stage, metastasis and local recurrence. Subgroup analysis showed that, of 41 patients with stage II colon cancer, the optimal cut-off value of d-CEA was 8.78 ng/mL, and the sensitivity and specificity were 87.5% and 69.7% in the prediction of metastasis or local recurrence, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  d-CEA may be a prognostic factor for stage II colon cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute Beijing 100142, China.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University Beijing 100020, China.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute Beijing 100142, China.
authors.forename: Zhongmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute Beijing 100142, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute Beijing 100142, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
keywords: Colon cancer; carcinoembryonic antigen; prognosis