Serum CEA levels facilitate detection of recurrences of cancer in patients after gastrectomy.

In an attempt to assess the usefulness of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for predicting the progression of gastric cancer, CEA productivity was evaluated according to serum CEA levels, at the time of recurrence or relapse. In cases of a recurrence, abnormal CEA levels were observed in 14 of 17 (82.4 per cent) with differentiated carcinoma and in 9 of 21 (42.9 per cent) with undifferentiated carcinoma. Preoperative abnormal CEA levels were observed in only 6 of 41 patients (14.6 per cent). A median lead time of manifestation of recurrence was 5 months. In those with relapse, 9 of 11 (81.8 per cent) patients with differentiated carcinoma and 13 of 18 (72.2 per cent) with an undifferentiated carcinoma had abnormal CEA levels. Preoperative abnormal CEA levels were observed in 24 of these 89 patients (27.0 per cent). Postoperative monitoring of CEA seems to be useful for early recognition of gastric cancer progression, irrespective of the preoperative CEA levels.