Carcinoembryonic antigen in children with neuroblastoma.

Plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was assayed with a radioimmune procedure in 27 healthy control children. The upper limit of plasma CEA (mean +2 SD) was derived from healthy controls and was 3.35 ng/ml. This value was compared with those obtained from 15 children with active neuroblastoma, 7 with active embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, 16 with treated neuroblastoma and without evidence of disease, 14 disease-free patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, and 17 patients still on therapy. The neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma patients with active disease had higher CEA values than did the successfully treated neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma patients. CEA plasma values greater than 3.35 ng/ml were found in 35% and 24% of patiens with neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, respectively.