Carcinoembryonic Antigen to Detect Hepatic Metastases of Colorectal Cancers

Abstract

The CEA levels in bile, mesenteric venous blood, and peripheral venous blood were increased in patients with CRC and liver metastases. The detection of elevated CEA levels in bile taken at surgery did not herald metachronous hepatic metastases in CRC patients without liver metastases.

Prognostic significance of CEA levels and detection of CEA mRNA in draining venous blood in patients with colorectal cancer

“…Regarding the portal CEA levels as a prognostic indicator in colorectal cancer, Kutun et al [14] reported that the CEA levels in portal venous blood in the patients with metachronous liver metastases were not significantly different from the cases that did not develop hepatic recurrence, thus concluding that measuring portal CEA levels cannot identify patients at high risk of hepatic recurrence. Tabuchi et al [15], among 94 patients with resectable colorectal cancer, found that the survival curve of the group with normal portal CEA (<5 ng/ml) was significantly better than that of the group with abnormal levels, and the 5-year survival rates were 69% and 41.2%, respectively.…”

“…Yeatman [13] was among the first that suggested biliary concentration of CEA as a sensitive marker of occult hepatic metastases. Since then, other authors have also evaluated the role of bile CEA as well as peripheral and mesenteric venous blood CEA levels, in prediction of hepatic metastases and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients [14,15].…”

Value of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Assay in Predicting Hepatic Metastases, Local Recurrence, and Survival After Curative Resection of Colorectal Cancer

“…In a similar study with a cutoff of 10 ng/ml, Dorrance et al 5 reported that even though bile CEA taken intraoperatively is a sensitive indicator of occult hepatic metastases, it is not a reliable prognostic indicator, as the accuracy was not higher than 72%. Kutun et al 10 also reported that biliary CEA levels cannot be used to identify patients at high risk of hepatic recurrence.…”

“…Kutun et al 10 reported that the CEA levels in portal venous blood were not significantly different in patients with metachronous liver metastases and those without hepatic recurrence. They concluded that measuring portal CEA levels cannot identify patients at high risk of hepatic recurrence.…”

“…Other authors have since evaluated the role of bile CEA as well as peripheral and mesenteric venous blood CEA levels, in predicting hepatic metastases and the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. 1,2,5,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] In this prospective study, we measured CEA levels in peripheral, mesenteric venous blood, and bile from patients with colorectal cancer without metastases, and investigated their possible role in predicting hepatic metastases, local recurrence, and survival. We also evaluated the relationship between the CEA positive rates and four clinicopathologic variables; namely, tumor location, differentiation, tumor staging, and the existence of nodal metastases.…”