Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In colon cancer, CEA(carcinoembryonic antigen) has become one of the useful tools for the management of patients because the antigen has been found to be useful as a monitor for detection, staging, recurrence, determining the response to therapy, and estimating the prognosis or survival. Many investigators have been analyzing the peripheral CEA levels for these purpose. Correlation between CEA levels of peripheral and portal blood, and histopathologic variables, was examined in 92 patients. This study evaluates importance of draining vein CEA levels in sensitivity and specificity of the prognosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 92 patients, comparison between peripheral and draining venous blood CEA levels was performed in order to get better sensitivity and specificity and precise prognosis of CEA in colorectal cancer. Stage, tumor site, tumor emboli, lymph nodes, ascitic fluid cytology and differentiations were considered.
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in peripheral and draining venous blood CEA levels in these variables. CEA positive rate of peripheral and draining vein were 57% and 60%. It has statistically no significance. More elevated CEA levels of draining vein than peripheral levels was detected in Duke C comparison (p=0.013). And more elevated CEA levels was observed in more advanced stages(33%, 59%, 63%, 83%) in draining vein(p < or = 0.01).
CONCLUSION: The prognosis of elevated CEA level in draining venous blood CEA levels in advanced stage is significant in prediction of patients prognosis and degree of advanced cancers.
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