The prognostic significance of carcinoembryonic antigen determinations in patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

Pretreatment levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) correlate well with the extent of disease in squamous cell and adenocarcinoma of the cervix. These two tumor types, however, have significantly different capacities for CEA release. The prognostic significance of pretreatment CEA determinations in squamous cell cancers is restricted to a subpopulation of these tumors and low values are equivocal. The present paper reports a long-term follow-up of 54 patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix, all stages. It was found that no patient, regardless of stage, with an initial value over 15 micrograms/liter survived the disease. In the range between 5 and 15 micrograms/liter the recurrence rate was 67%. Patients with initial values under 5.0 micrograms/liter had an estimated 5-year survival of 90% in contrast to 11% if pretreatment values were over this limit. In Stage I, only 1 out of 8 patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis had a pretreatment value under 5.0 micrograms/liter. CEA determinations are of definite value in the planning of treatment and follow-up of patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix.