Clinical Use Of Carcinoembryonic Antigen In Lung Cancer Surgery

ObjectiveSummerize the experience of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) usage in lung cancer surgery and discuss the interactive factors and future potentials.Methods99consecutive patients with pathological stage I non-small-cell lung (NSCLC) cancer who were surgically treated between January2013and December2013at First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative follow-up was conducted by a universe standard. Baseline information, surgery data, perioperative serum CEA values and tumor progression was documented and further analyzed with statistical software.ResultsPreoperative serum CEA was positive in84patients, and negative in15patients. The average CEA value measured both preoperatively and postoperatively was higher in patients with adenocarcinoma (4.7±10.9ng/ml and3.4±11.3ng/ml, respectively) than in those with squamous cell carcinoma (3.3±1.4ng/ml and2.3±1.2ng/ml, respectively), although the difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). During follow-up,5patients were radiologically confirmed with tumor progression, either recurrence or metastases. Among these, one male had a preoperative CEA value exceeding normal upper limit.ConclusionsThe clinical assay of serum CEA holds importance to both diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC. Postoperative surveillance of CEA in surgically treated patients facilitates early detection of tumor progression. With the obvious limitations on sensitivity and specificity, CEA is destined to give way to novel serum biomarkers with better stability and accuracy.