Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) describes a set of highly related glycoproteins, involved in cell adhesion. It is normally produced in gastrointestinal tissue during fetal development, but the production stops at birth. It is also present in low levels in adult blood as well. However, the serum levels increase in some types of cancer. It is mainly high in colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung carcinoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma as well as some neoplastic condutions like ulcerative cholitis, pancreatitis, cryhosis, hypothyroidism, Chorn’s disease and smokers. CEA, must not be considered as a screening test. It is usually useful for staging or to localize cancer which has been spread to body fluids.
Interpretation: Elevated CEA levels may indicate the above mentioned cancer types and neoplasms but it is useful for follow up treatment of surgical removel of tumors and cancer treatments. CEA is elevated more in tumors with lymph node and distant metastasis than in organ confined tumors and varies with the stage of the tumor. Tumors causing bowel obstruction, produce higher CEA levels. Liver dysfunction also increases CEA, as the liver is the primary site of CEA production.
Sample: Arm vein blood. Nonfasting
Working day: Everyday
Result Time: The same day at 6:00 PM
