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The serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen in drainage venous blood is not a sensitive predictor of metachronous hepatic metastasis for patients with colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

To establish whether the serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in drainage venous blood (d-CEA) is a better predictor of prognosis or survival than the preoperative CEA level in peripheral venous blood (p-CEA), and how these two CEA levels compare as predictive factors for metachronous hepatic metastasis.

Methods

We examined specimens of peripheral and drainage venous blood from 119 patients with colorectal cancer.

Results

There was a strong positive correlation between p-CEA and d-CEA levels. The 5-year survival rates were 81.5% and 80.2% for patients with normal p-CEA and d-CEA levels (≤5 ng/ml), respectively, and 68.4% and 71.1% for those with abnormal p-CEA and d-CEA levels (>5 ng/ml). The p-CEA and d-CEA levels were both normal in seven of ten patients with metachronous hepatic metastasis. The CEA gradient between the d-CEA and p-CEA levels (d-p CEA gradient) was not a significant predictive factor for hepatic metastases.

Conclusions

There was virtually no change between preoperative p-CEA and d-CEA levels. These findings suggest that the d-CEA level is not a predictor for metachronous hepatic metastasis and that measuring p-CEA levels is sufficient in the surveillance of colorectal cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan

    Masashi Haraguchi, Fumihiko Fujita, Yasuhiro Torashima, Takamitsu Inokuma, Yoshitsugu Tajima & Takashi Kanematsu

  2. Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization, Nagasaki Medical Center, 2-1001-1, Kubara, Omura, Nagasaki, 856-8562, Japan

    Masashi Haraguchi

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  1. Masashi Haraguchi
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  2. Fumihiko Fujita
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  3. Yasuhiro Torashima
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  4. Takamitsu Inokuma
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  5. Yoshitsugu Tajima
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  6. Takashi Kanematsu
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Haraguchi, M., Fujita, F., Torashima, Y. et al. The serum level of carcinoembryonic antigen in drainage venous blood is not a sensitive predictor of metachronous hepatic metastasis for patients with colorectal cancer. Surg Today 40, 745–751 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-009-4205-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-009-4205-4

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