Carcinoembryonic antigen: 3 years' experience in a cancer clinic

Long-term studies on multiple plasma samples of 988 patients with carcinoma of entodermal origin indicate that, especially for patients with colorectal cancer, repeatedly elevated or rising carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) values are a sign of poor prognosis when found preoperatively, postoperatively or during chemotherapy. Persistently elevated CEA values in postoperative patients apparently free of disease are a useful marker for early detection of recurrence or metastases. Normal CEA values are of little or no prognostic value.