Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Concentration Research Articles

Influence of Smoking Status and Body Mass Index on Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Concentration in Patients with Thoracic Diseases

BACKGROUND: Although the serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration is the well-known prognostic marker of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), serum CEA concentration has been reported to be affected by smoking status and body mass index (BMI). There are no previous investigations that examined the relationship between BMI and serum CEA concentration in thoracic disease, including NSCLC. METHODS: Consecutive 384 NSCLC patients and 87 patients with benign thoracic disease were enrolled. The relationship between serum CEA concentration and smoking status and BMI in patients with benign thoracic benign disease and NSCLC was examined. RESULTS: In patients with benign thoracic disease, serum CEA concentration significantly increased with smoking status and Brinkman index. However, serum CEA concentration was not related with BMI. Serum CEA concentration of patients with NSCLC was significantly higher than those with benign disease. In NSCLC patients, the relationship between serum CEA concentration and smoking status was also found. A significant relationship between serum CEA concentration and smoking status was also found in patients with adenocarcinoma which is known to have weaker associations with smoking in carcinogenesis. On the other hand, we failed to find the relationship between serum CEA concentration and BMI in NSCLC patients. CONCLUSION: Serum CEA concentration may be affected by smoking status but not BMI in our Japanese patients with thoracic disease. a

Does Obesity-Related Hemodilution of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Exist in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients?

BackgroundPrevious investigations reported inverse relationship between prostate-specific antigen concentration and body mass index (BMI). These results have been explained by a hemodilution effect among obese men. However, the hemodilution of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration in obese patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been ever reported.MethodsConsecutive 381 NSCLC patients were enrolled. A body surface area (BSA)-based and a hematocrit (HCT)-based equations were applied for plasma volume (PV) estimation. The relationship between BMI and PV, serum CEA concentration and CEA amount, representing the total amount of CEA protein within the circulation, were examined.ResultsHigher BMI was significantly associated with higher PV (P < 0.001). However, serum CEA concentration was not significantly associated with increasing BMI. Furthermore, there was no significant association between BMI and CEA amount. The 5-year survival rate of patients with a high serum CEA concentration was significantly lower than that of patients with a normal CEA. There was no difference in the prognostic significance of serum CEA concentration and CEA amount.ConclusionsWe failed to find the association between BMI and CEA, suggesting no or small hemodilution effect of CEA in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, the measurement of the CEA amount could not provide any additional information.

Identification of Recurrence—Predictive Indicators in Stage I Colorectal Cancer

Patients with stage I colorectal cancer (CRC) rarely experience recurrences; therefore, few risk factors for recurrence are known. This study was designed to evaluate oncologic outcomes of patients with stage I CRC and to identify risk factors for recurrence after curative surgery. A retrospective cohort of 860 patients from a single institution who underwent curative surgery for stage I CRC between July 1995 and June 2010 was enrolled. Patients who were diagnosed with hereditary, synchronous, or metachronous cancer and those who received preoperative chemoradiotherapy were excluded. Patients from whom fewer than 12 lymph nodes were retrieved were also excluded. The 860 patients included 402 (46.7%) with colon tumors and 458 (53.3%) with rectal tumors. Thirty-five patients (4.1%) experienced recurrences; local and systemic recurrence rates were 1.1 and 3.0%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 93.5±0.8% and 95.7±0.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration ≥6ng/mL (hazard ratio [HR] 3.354, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.373-8.195, p=0.008) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (HR 2.676, 95% CI 1.097-6.531, p=0.031) were independent risk factors for RFS. The overall recurrence rate among patients with stage I CRC after curative surgery was 4.1%. Elevated serum CEA and LVI were significantly associated with recurrence. Large-scale, multicenter studies are needed to confirm the prognostic value of these risk factors.

Serum tumor markers not useful in screening patients with pancreatic mucinous cystic lesions associated with malignant changes

Serum cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) provides additional information about mucinous cystic pancreatic neoplasm (MPN). This study was undertaken to assess both CA19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) serum concentrations in consecutive patients affected by MPNs and other chronic benign and malignant pancreatic diseases. We also evaluated whether serum CA19-9 and CEA determinations provide additional information such as the presence of invasive carcinoma in MPN patients. Serum CA19-9 and CEA from 91 patients with pancreatic diseases were tested by commercially available kits at the time of diagnosis. The upper reference limit of serum CA19-9 was 37 U/mL and that of serum CEA was 3 ng/mL. Thirty-five patients was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis (CP), 32 with MPN, and 24 with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) confirmed histologically. Surgery was carried out in 5 CP patients, in 10 MPN patients (7 of them had severe dysplasia), and in 9 PDAC patients. Serum CA19-9 activity was high in 12 (34.3%) CP patients, in 7 (21.9%) MPN patients, and in 12 (50.0%) PDAC patients (P=0.089). High serum CEA concentrations were noted in 6 (17.1%) CP patients, in 6 (18.8%) MPN patients, and in 12 (50.0%) PDAC patients (P=0.010). In the 7 MPN patients associated with histologically confirmed severe dysplasia, 3 (42.9%) patients had elevated serum activity of serum CA19-9, and 2 (28.6%) patients had high levels of CEA. Serum determination of oncological markers is not useful in selecting MPN patients with malignant changes.

Stem cell factor in the serum of patients with esophageal cancer in relation to its histological types

IntroductionHematopoietic growth factors (HGFs), such as stem cell factor (SCF), may stimulate proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Stem cell factor is also able to affect the growth of malignant tumors, including esophageal cancer (EC). The prognosis of EC patients’ survival is still unfavorable. Thus, novel biomarkers are necessary to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of EC patients. The aim of this study was to determine the serum SCF concentrations in EC patients in relation to its histological types and compare these levels with the classical tumor marker – carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).Material and methodsThe study included 56 EC patients and 65 healthy controls. Serum SCF and CEA concentrations were measured using immunoenzyme assays. Moreover, diagnostic criteria of both proteins tested and the survival of EC patients were assessed.ResultsThe serum SCF concentrations were lower in EC patients compared to healthy controls, but the difference was not significant, whereas CEA levels were higher in EC patients than in healthy subjects. The serum SCF concentrations were significantly higher in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (AC) than in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Moreover, the diagnostic sensitivity of SCF (88%) was higher than for CEA (29%) and increased for combined analysis of SCF with CEA.ConclusionsOur findings suggest the potential role of serum SCF in the diagnosis of EC patients, especially in combination with the classical tumor marker. However, due to the non-specific nature of SCF, this issue requires further investigations performed on a larger population of EC patients.

Combined preoperative concentrations of CEA, CA 19-9, and 72-4 for predicting outcomes in patients with gastric cancer after curative resection.

In many cancers, prognostic factors are useful for identifying high-risk patients and in individualizing treatment. We sought to determine whether a combination of tumor markers (CTM) would improve prognostic accuracy in patients with gastric cancer (GC). The CTM score, which is derived from serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), and carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA 72-4), was tested retrospectively in 1134 patients with GC undergoing curative resection between October 2000 and December 2012. The CTM score was 2 for patients with two or three elevated markers, 1 for those with one elevated marker, and 0 for those no elevated markers. Overall survival (OS) in patients with CTM scores 0, 1, and 2 was 61.8%, 31.4%, and 15.1%, respectively (P<.001). The CTM score independently predicted OS on multivariate analysis (HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.73 to 2.21; P<.001). Moreover, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of the CTM score (0.67; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.70) was higher than the values of any individual marker (0.63, 0.57, 0.57; P<.001 for all comparisons). The CTM score independently predicted postoperative survival in GC, and it may have better clinical utility than individual tumor markers for identifying high-risk patients with GC.

A study of carcinoembryonic antigen concentrations in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract Background & aims Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a tumour marker whose role is now being evaluated as a biomarker for early diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes. Its levels may rise even prior to rise of established biomarkers of myocardial necrosis. Methods Serum CEA concentrations were measured by double sandwich ELISA method in four groups of subjects with STEMI, NSTEMI/UA (24 patients of NSTEMI and 18 patients of unstable angina), stable angina and healthy controls with 42 males between 40 to 60 years of age in each group. Also qualitative Troponin T assay and CPK-MB concentrations measurement was done in groups with STEMI and NSTEMI/UA and correlations between CEA concentrations and Troponin T and CPK-MB were made. Results Mean serum CEA concentrations were 5.19 ± 0.39, 3.84 ± 0.34, 3.91 ± 1.40, 1.84 ± 0.35 and 2.12 ± 0.40 ng/ml respectively in groups with STEMI, NSTEMI/UA, UA alone, stable CAD and healthy controls respectively. STEMI, NSTEMI/UA and UA patients had significantly higher concentrations than stable CAD and healthy controls (p Conclusions CEA is a sensitive biomarker for early diagnosis of ACS. Its levels correlate with severity of ACS. It may play a crucial role in diagnosis of ACS in patients who present with atypical manifestations or when traditional biomarkers such as CPK-MB and Troponins are not raised.

The association between preoperative serum CEA concentrations and synchronous liver metastasis in colorectal cancer patients.

Liver is the primary site for the metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been proposed that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) might have an instrumental role in the development of hepatic metastasis from human CRC. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the association between preoperative serum CEA concentrations and the incidence of synchronous CRC-liver metastasis. A total of 199 patients with CRC who underwent radical surgery at the Shiraz University hospitals were enrolled in this study. The preoperative serum CEA levels of patients without distant metastasis were compared with those with hepatic metastasis and those with other organs metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis. Preoperative serum CEA concentrations were found to be significantly higher in patients with distant metastases compared to patients with local CRC (P < 0.001). Moreover, the mean serum CEA level in patients with liver metastasis was higher than non-metastasis group (42.89 ng/ml vs 9.62 ng/ml) (p < 0.001). We did not find significant differences in serum CEA concentrations between non-metastasis and the other organ metastasis groups (p> 0.05). We conclude that patients with high preoperative serum CEA levels should have more intensive follow-up for detection of synchronous liver metastasis.

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase as biomarkers for diagnosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer.

To investigate the clinical efficacy of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) as biomarkers for diagnosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Forty-six cytology or pathology confirmed nonsmall cell lung patients and 33 cases of benign lung disease (BLD) were retrospective reviewed in our hospital from February 2013 to January 2016. The serum concentrations of CEA and NSE were measured by chemiluminescent assay. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (area under the curve) of serum CEA and NSE as biomarkers for diagnosis of lung cancer were analyzed by SPSS version 17.0 software. The serum CEA and NSE concentration were 30.69 ± 14.11 ng/mL, 52.36 ± 49.68 ng/mL for NSCLC patients and 12.69 ± 8.87 ng/mL, 5.32 ± 4.66 for BLD patients, respectively with statistical difference (P < 0.05); the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 58.66% and 76.48% for serum CEA at the cutoff value of 5.74 ng/mL and 66.67% and 78.69% for serum NSE at the cutoff value of 19.35 ng/mL; the diagnostic area under the ROC curve was 0.81 and 0.76 for CEA and NSE, respectively as biomarkers for diagnosis of NSCLC. Serum CEA and NSE are potential biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis.

An Asymptomatic Hemorrhagic Hepatic Cyst with Solid Contents

We describe a patient who had an asymptomatic hemorrhagic hepatic cyst with solid contents that mimicked a malignancy. An 85-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because a hypoechoic mass was detected. She had no complications. The past medical history included hypertension and left femoral artery aneurysm. The results of initial laboratory tests were as follows: serum aspartate aminotransferase, 28 IU/L; serum alanine aminotransferase, 23 IU/L; serum C-reactive protein, 0.11 mg/dL; and serum hemoglobin concentration, 13.1 g/dL. The serum platelet count (17.3×104/μL) was slightly decreased. The serum concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen was 3.0 ng/mL, that of CA19-9 was 12.2 u/ml, and that of AFP was 3.8 ng/ml. The serum concentration of hyaluronic acid (147 ng/mL) was elevated. Hepatitis B virus antigen and hepatitis C virus antibody were negative. Ultrasonography revealed a protruding hypoechoic mass, 6 cm in diameter, with a central isoechoic structure in segment 7, accompanied by multiple hepatic cysts. The edge of the liver was dull, and the liver parenchymal echo was mildly rough. Computed tomography (CT) showed a slightly high-density area with calcification of the margin. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hypointense lesion with central hyperintensity on T1- weighted sequences and hyperintensity on T2-weighted sequences. On positron emission tomography- CT, there was no uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose in the liver. We diagnosed an old hemorrhagic cyst or abscess, but could not rule out a malignant neoplasm because of the damaged liver. A right lateral sectionectomy was therefore performed. The resected specimen had black solid contents, and the capsule lacked fluid. Pathological examination revealed an old hemorrhage with a thick fibrous capsule without epithelial components. The liver showed mild fibrosis with fatty changes. The lesion was considered an old hemorrhagic hepatic cyst because a nearby hepatic cyst had simple columnar epithelium.

Clinicopathological Features and Prognostic Significance of HER2 Expression in Gastric Cancer

Background: HER2 positivity is reported to be <20% in gastric cancer. Clinicopathological characteristics will be helpful to understand the biological features of HER2-positive gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 813 gastric cancer patients who underwent HER2 testing between January 2005 and December 2010 were included in this study. Results: Ninety-five (11.7%) patients had HER2-positive gastric cancer. Elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration [odds ratio (OR), 5.629; p < 0.001] and differentiated histology (OR, 3.717; p = 0.002) were significant predictive factors for HER2 positivity in localized disease. For recurrent or metastatic disease, elevated serum CEA concentration (OR, 2.545; p < 0.001), differentiated histology (OR, 3.299; p < 0.001), pulmonary metastasis (OR, 3.321; p = 0.001), and distant lymph node metastasis (OR, 2.286; p = 0.002) were significant predictive factors. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was shorter in HER2-positive patients than in others, especially in stage I or II disease (24.7 vs. 49.2 months; p < 0.001). Among HER2-negative patients with stage II diseases, patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had longer DFS than others (42.2 vs. 30.7 months; p = 0.025). Conclusions: Clinicopathological factors may be useful in predicting the HER2 positivity of gastric cancer. Further studies are needed to understand the molecular basis of HER2-positive gastric cancer. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel

Beclin 1 expression is closely linked to colorectal carcinogenesis and distant metastasis of colorectal carcinoma.

Beclin 1 participates in development, autophagy, differentiation, anti- apoptosis, neurodegeneration, tumorigenesis and cancer progression. The roles of Beclin 1 in colorectal carcinogenesis and its subsequent progression are still unclear. Here, the mRNA and protein expression of Beclin 1 were determined in colorectal carcinoma and matched mucosa by Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization (ISH) were performed on tissue microarryer with colorectal carcinoma, adenoma and mucosa. The expression of Beclin 1 mRNA and protein was found to be higher in colorectal carcinoma than matched mucosa by real-time PCR and Western blot (p < 0.05). According to the ISH data, Beclin 1 expression was lower in colorectal non-neoplastic mucosa (NNM) than adenoma and carcinoma (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemically, primary carcinoma showed stronger Beclin 1 expression than NNM and metastatic carcinoma in the liver (p < 0.05). Beclin 1 protein expression was negatively related to liver and distant metastasis (p < 0.05), but not correlated with age, sex, depth of invasion, lymphatic or venous invasion, lymph node metastasis, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging, differentiation or serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration (p > 0.05). Survival analysis indicated that Beclin 1 expression was not linked to favorable prognosis of the patients with colorectal carcinoma (p > 0.05). Cox’s model indicated that depth of invasion and distant metastasis were independent prognostic factors for colorectal carcinomas (p < 0.05). It was suggested that Beclin 1 expression is closely linked to colorectal carcinogenesis and distant metastasis of colorectal carcinoma.

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels before initial treatment are associated with EGFR mutations and EML4- ALK fusion gene in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) define specific molecular subsets of lung adenocarcinomas with distinct clinical features. Our purpose was to analyze clinical features and prognostic value of EGFR gene mutations and the EML4-ALK fusion gene in lung adenocarcinoma. EGFR gene mutations and the EML4-ALK fusion gene were detected in 92 lung adenocarcinoma patients in China. Tumor marker levels before first treatment were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. EGFR mutations were found in 40.2% (37/92) of lung adenocarcinoma patients, being identified at high frequencies in never-smokers (48.3% vs. 26.5% in smokers; P=0.040) and in patients with abnormal serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels before the initial treatment (58.3% vs. 28.6%, P=0.004). Multivariate analysis revealed that a higher serum CEA level before the initial treatment was independently associated with EGFR gene mutations (95%CI: 1.476~11.343, P=0.007). We also identified 8 patients who harbored the EML4-ALK fusion gene (8.7%, 8/92). In concordance with previous reports, younger age was a clinical feature for these (P=0.008). Seven of the positive cases were never smokers, and no coexistence with EGFR mutation was discovered. In addition, the frequency of the EML4-ALK fusion gene among patients with a serum CEA concentration below 5 ng/ml seemed to be higher than patients with a concentration over 5 ng/ml (P=0.021). No significant difference was observed for time to progression and overall survival between EML4-ALK-positive group and EML4-ALK-negative group or between patients with and without an EGFR mutation. The serum CEA level before the initial treatment may be helpful in screening population for EGFR mutations or EML4-ALK fusion gene presence in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

How Much Does Body Mass Index Affect Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Concentration?

As the effect of obesity on serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration and mass is uncertain, we designed the study in context of Chinese healthy males with no clinical evidence of any cancer. Of note, 1,915 healthy males were retrospectively collected, with ages ranging from 18 to 84 years. Two equations, a body surface area (BSA)-based and a hematocrit-based, were applied, respectively, for plasma volume and CEA mass calculation. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were used to detect the associations of CEA concentration, and the two estimates of CEA mass with body mass index (BMI); possible confounding factors, including age, leucocyte count, and smoking status, were adjusted. CEA concentration significantly decreased with increasing BMI (P < 0.001); however, CEA mass remained consistent or increased by using the BSA- or hematocrit-based equation. A screening level of CEA 5.0 ng/mL in normal-weight men was found to correspond to 4.52 ng/mL in overweight and obese men. CEA may be affected in obese individuals by several factors, including but not limiting to hemodilution, inflammatory conditions, and insulin resistance. The relationship between CEA concentration and BMI might be highly dependent on which factor or factors have been predominant. The BMI status of participants should be taken into account during assessment of serum CEA levels in healthy males.

Smoldering medullary thyroid carcinoma liver metastasis 37 years after resection of an organ‐confined tumor

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an uncommon thyroid tumor that usually behaves aggressively. After resection, serological surveillance for calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is used to prompt a radiographic search for metastatic disease. We report a case of a 65-year-old woman who presented with a large liver metastasis 37 years after she underwent thyroidectomy for organ-confined MTC. Her clinical course over that time showed a smoldering pattern in which she was symptom free until presentation even though her serum calcitonin and CEA concentrations were elevated for 17 years, and a small equivocal radiographic lesion in the liver was detected 10 years prior to presentation. Cytopathology from an ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of the hepatic lesion was diagnostic for metastatic MTC. This case highlights the ability for smoldering residual MTC to suddenly transform to aggressive biological behavior after a long period of clinical remission.

Sialyl Lewis X as a predictor of skip N2 metastasis in clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer

BackgroundRadical segmentectomy has been performed for small-sized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, underestimation of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in the absence of hilar or interlobar metastasis (skip N2) affects surgical strategy. Our aim was to investigate preoperative and intraoperative predictors of skip N2 in clinical stage (c-stage) IA NSCLC.MethodsFrom 1998 to 2011, 279 patients (155 men and 124 women) with c-stage IA NSCLC (230 pN0, 17 pN1, 12 skip N2, 20 non-skip N2) underwent systematic lobectomy (R0 resection) at our institute. We compared preoperative serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 19 fragment, sialyl Lewis X (SLX), and pre- and intraoperative clinicopathological features of pN0 and skip N2 patients. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to distinguish between the two patient groups.ResultsThe 5-year survival rate of skip N2 patients was 78.6%, higher than that of non-skip N2 patients (44.9%), and not significantly different than that of pN0 (86.7%) or pN1 patients (82.4%). The mean serum SLX concentration in skip N2 patients (28.0 U/ml) was elevated compared to that in pN0 patients (22.9 U/ml). In ROC analysis of SLX, the area under the curve was 0.710, and the optimal cut-off value was 21.4 U/ml (sensitivity, 91.7%; specificity, 51.7%). In multivariate analysis, SLX was an independent predictor of skip N2 in patients with c-stage IA NSCLC (odds ratio, 9.43; p = 0.006).ConclusionsSkip N2 metastasis is common in patients with c-stage IA NSCLC with high serum SLX, and lobectomy with complete dissection of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes should remain the standard surgical procedure for these cases.

Clinical validity of tissue carcinoembryonic antigen expression as ancillary to serum carcinoembryonic antigen concentration in patients curatively resected for colorectal cancer

Although serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level is prognostic in colorectal cancer, the prognostic role of tumour CEA expression is unclear. The aim of this study is to identify the prognostic and surveillance roles of tissue CEA expression along with serum CEA concentration in patients curatively resected for colorectal cancer. Between January and December 2003, 294 patients who underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer were included in the study. Correlation of tissue CEA expression with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and elevated serum CEA concentration at tumour recurrence were analysed. Tissue CEA expression was positive in 215 patients (73.1%). CEA expression was an independent prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.537, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.065-6.042, P = 0.035] and DFS (HR = 3.090, 95% CI = 1.405-6.795, P = 0.005). Elevation of serum CEA at tumour recurrence was significantly lower in patients without than with tissue CEA expression (14.3 vs 57.6%, P = 0.045). Moreover, when patients were grouped according to a combination of serum CEA elevation and tissue CEA expression, those with tissue CEA expression and elevated serum CEA (group 3) had significantly poorer OS and DFS (P < 0.001 each) than those without CEA expression and elevated serum CEA (group 1) and those with either tissue CEA expression or elevated serum CEA (group 2). OS (P = 0.006) and DFS (P = 0.027) were both significantly greater in group 1 than in group 2. Tissue CEA expression is a prognostic factor in patients with colorectal cancer. Analysis of tissue CEA expression may be helpful in determining the clinical utility of serial measurements of serum CEA as surveillance in patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer.

Combination of Mesothelin and CEA Significantly Improves the Differentiation between Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Benign Asbestos Disease, and Lung Cancer

Soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) have been reported as potential markers for the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We wondered, whether a combination with a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test might improve the relatively low diagnostic yield of the SMRP test. In a retrospective study, SMRP (mesothelin) and CEA serum concentrations were measured, using commercially available kits, in 93 previously untreated MPM patients, 75 patients with benign asbestos disease, and 139 patients suffering from lung cancer (LC). The differentiation between MPM, LC, and benign asbestos disease could be improved by applying the ratio mesothelin/CEA. Whereas CEA expression was found to be low in MPM, most LC patients had elevated CEA serum levels. The area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristics curve for mesothelin alone was found to be only 0.708. For mesothelin/CEA the AUC of the receiver operator characteristics curve increased to 0.978. The sensitivity was 93% (69%) at 95% (100%) specificity for the differentiation between MPM and LC. Comparison of MPM and benign asbestos disease showed that the AUC was 0.887 and the sensitivity 56% (47%) at 95% (100%) specificity. In contrast, the AUC for the mesothelin test alone was only 0.715, and for the CEA test alone it was 0.16. An average increment in sensitivity of 38% (range, 16%-63%) could be achieved by the quotient mesothelin/CEA compared with the sensitivity of mesothelin alone. The diagnostic yield of the mesothelin test can be considerably improved when combined with a CEA test with regard to the differential diagnosis between MPM and LC and between MPM and benign asbestos disease.

Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for Variant Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Clinical features characteristic of small-cell prostate carcinoma (SCPC), "anaplastic," often emerge during the progression of prostate cancer. We sought to determine the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in patients meeting at least one of seven prospectively defined "anaplastic" clinical criteria, including exclusive visceral or predominantly lytic bone metastases, bulky tumor masses, low prostate-specific antigen levels relative to tumor burden, or short response to androgen deprivation therapy. A 120-patient phase II trial of first-line carboplatin and docetaxel (CD) and second-line etoposide and cisplatin (EP) was designed to provide reliable clinical response estimates under a Bayesian probability model with early stopping rules in place for futility and toxicity. Seventy-four of 113 (65.4%) and 24 of 71 (33.8%) were progression free after four cycles of CD and EP, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 16 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 13.6-19.0 months]. Of the seven "anaplastic" criteria, bulky tumor mass was significantly associated with poor outcome. Lactic acid dehydrogenase strongly predicted for OS and rapid progression. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentration strongly predicted OS but not rapid progression. Neuroendocrine markers did not predict outcome or response to therapy. Our findings support the hypothesis that patients with "anaplastic" prostate cancer are a recognizable subset characterized by a high response rate of short duration to platinum-containing chemotherapies, similar to SCPC. Our results suggest that CEA is useful for selecting therapy in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and consolidative therapies to bulky high-grade tumor masses should be considered in this patient population.

Correlation Between EGFR Mutations and Serum Tumor Markers in Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients

Mutations affecting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are good predictors of clinical efficacy of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are also regarded as predictive for the efficacy of EGFR-TKI and EGFR gene mutations. This study analyzed the association between EGFR gene mutations and clinical features, including serum tumor marker levels in lung adenocarcinomas patients. A total of 70 lung adenocarcinoma patients with complete clinical data and pathological specimens were investigated. EGFR gene mutations at exons 19 and 21 were assessed. Serum tumor markers were detected by protein chip- chemiluminescence at the corresponding time, and correlations were analyzed. Mutations of the EGFR gene were detected in 27 of the 70 patients and the serum CEA and CA242 concentrations were found to be significantly associated with the incidence of EGFR gene mutations (P<0.05). The AUCs for CEA and CA242 were 0.724 (95% CI: 0.598~0.850, P<0.05) and 0.769 (95% CI: 0.523~0.800, P<0.05) respectively. Serum CEA and CA242 levels are associated with mutations of the EGFR gene in patients with lung adenocarcinomas.