[Carcino-embryonic antigen in cases of cervical carcinoma (author's transl)]

Carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) was determined by means of solid-phase radio-immuno-assay through one year in 83 patients with Groups I through IV cervical carcinoma. The intention was to test CEA diagnosis for its value as tumour marker in therapeutic monitoring and detection of recurrences. CEA values prior to treatment were above normal, that is in excess of 2.5 ng/ml, in 42.8 per cent of the cervical carcinoma patients. CEA values declined during therapeutic radium and cobalt 60 irradiation in 81 per cent of those patients in whom original values had been increased to more than 2.5 ng/ml. No substantive change was recordable from those patients in whom original values had been below 2.5 ng/ml. Recurrence diagnosis gave good agreement between CEA levels and clinical findings in 58 per cent of the cases, falsely negative data in 37 per cent and falsely positive values in four per cent. The development of recurrence was repeatedly sensed by means of CEA determination up to six months before clinical manifestation in 72 patients who had been under long-time monitoring. The usefulness of CEA determination in therapeutic monitoring and after-care of patients with cervical carcinoma was found to be limited to the effect that only increased values were of clinical relevance, whereas no conclusions whatever could be drawn from low values.