Carcino-embryonic antigen in hepatocellular carcinoma. Report of a patient with very high serum concentrations.

Serum carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) concentrations are frequently raised in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, but the degree of elevation is slight or moderate. In contrast, patients with hepatic metastases from colonic carcinomas and various other entodermal and non-entodermal tumours have very high serum values. This difference may be useful in the differential diagnosis between primary and metastatic liver carcinomas. However, exceptions do occur, as shown by the present report of a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma who had a serum CEA concentration of 1,600 ng/ml.