Carcinoembryonic Antigen CEA - Prognostic Value in Immediate Post-Operative Mortality in Colorectal Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Colorectal cancer surgery poses risks of early postoperative mortality.
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a tumor marker with potential prognostic value.
• Investigating non-invasive markers for risk stratification is crucial in surgical oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels.
• To determine if elevated CEA predicts early postoperative mortality in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.
• To assess the utility of CEA as a non-invasive risk stratification tool.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 325 patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery between 2017 and 2022.
• Preoperative serum CEA levels were measured for all participants.
• Statistical analysis was performed to correlate CEA levels with 30-day postoperative mortality.

Main Results:

• 180 patients (55.3%) had elevated preoperative CEA levels.
• 14 patients (4.3%) experienced mortality within 30 days post-surgery.
• No statistically significant correlation was found between elevated CEA levels and early postoperative mortality.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are not a reliable predictor of early postoperative mortality in colorectal cancer patients.
• Elevated CEA may not be a useful non-invasive marker for identifying high-risk surgical candidates.
• Further research may be needed to identify more accurate prognostic markers for this patient population.