Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) was first observed in extracts of colonic carcinoma tissue. Elevated levels are found in serum from patients with a wide variety of tumor types including gastrointestinal, lung, breast, ovary, and uterus. The frequency of elevated CEA levels increases with the Dukes stage of colonic carcinomas. High levels are more likely in the presence of metastatic disease and prognostically indicate a greater likelihood of metastasis. Levels will usually fall following successful treatment and remain stable. Rising levels in these patients may indicate recurrence. CEA is often elevated in liver disease and slightly elevated in smokers.

Swiss-Prot Accession Number: P06731