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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 12, 2024
Serum carcinoembryonic antigen level in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with preoperative normal serum level
Masaki Tomita1, Tetsuya Shimizu, Masaki Hara
1Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan. mtomita@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp
Objective:
The prognostic significance of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with a normal serum CEA level (<5.0 ng/ml) was examined.
Methods:
A total of 220 consecutive NSCLC patients with preoperative normal serum CEA levels were included. Patients were subdivided into two groups: preoperative serum CEA level >/=2.5 and <2.5 ng/ml.
Results:
The 5-year survival of patients with preoperative serum CEA level less and more than 2.5 ng/ml were 79.62% and 62.0%, respectively (P = 0.0036). Multivariate analysis indicated that a preoperative serum CEA level of >/=2.5 ng/ml was an independent prognostic factor. Similar results were found in patients with adenocarcinoma but not found in others.
Conclusion:
NSCLC patients with a high serum CEA level, especially adenocarcinoma patients, had poorer prognosis even if their serum CEA levels were within the normal upper limit.