What is CEA?
CEA (Carcinoembryonic antigen) is a protein that is secreted from bowel and other tissues and can be measured in the blood. 50 percent of patients with stage II and III cancers have elevated CEA levels.
After surgery, with a curative resection of the cancer the CEA should return to normal within days or weeks. Persistent elevated CEA suggests occult cancer might be present and further evaluation may be required.
CEA can also be elevated in other types of cancer such as cancer of lung, pancreas, stomach, and others.
CEA is often used to monitor treatment progress in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer if it is elevated. However, CEA is not always reliable and imaging studies such as CT scan is normally more accurate.
