Abstract
No potential tumour markers have been validated for prognosis in endometrial cancer. However, carcinoembryonic antigen (cea) is one of the most widely used tumour markers in various types of cancer. Although cea expression in endometrial cancer has been investigated, its prognostic value remains controversial, and no studies have investigated serum cea levels in large case series. In the present study, we investigated diagnostic and prognostic applications of serum cea for endometrial cancer. This prospective study was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Between January 2006 and December 2012, serum cea was measured prospectively in 215 patients with endometrial cancer and was subsequently measured during treatment and at scheduled follow-up examinations in patients with elevated baseline serum cea. During the study period, 215 patients (142 stage i, 19 stage ii, 32 stage iii, 22 stage iv) were treated for endometrial cancer. By the time of last follow-up, 52 had relapsed (24.2%), and the median follow-up duration was 45 months (range: 1-95 months). Elevated serum cea was identified in 25 patients (11.6%) and was associated with histologic type (p = 0.04), histologic grade (p = 0.03), and myometrial invasion depth (p = 0.01). Elevated serum cea was not related to clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, age, menopausal status, or body mass index. Relapse of disease was related to elevated serum cea (p = 0.006). Serum cea is a potential prognostic indicator for endometrial cancer.
Highlights
Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female genital tract, and its incidence is increasing globally
Several biomarkers have been associated with clinical characteristics and prognosis in endometrial cancer[1,2,3,4,5,6], none have been implemented in clinical practice
Carcinoembryonic antigen is a 200-kDa glycoprotein, described first in 1965 by Gold and Freedman[7], when they identified the antigen that was present in both fatal colon and colon adenocarcinoma, but that appeared to be absent from healthy adult colon
Summary
Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female genital tract, and its incidence is increasing globally. Several biomarkers have been associated with clinical characteristics and prognosis in endometrial cancer[1,2,3,4,5,6], none have been implemented in clinical practice. Cea expression has been investigated in endometrial cancer, controversy continues to revolve around its associations with that malignancy. A few reports that investigated serum cea levels revealed that serum cea was elevated in endometrial cancer patients in 22% of cases[13,14]. No potential tumour markers have been validated for prognosis in endometrial cancer. Cea expression in endometrial cancer has been investigated, its prognostic value remains controversial, and no studies have investigated serum cea levels in large case series. We investigated diagnostic and prognostic applications of serum cea for endometrial cancer
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