Determination of carcinoembryonic antigen levels in peripheral and draining venous blood in patients with colorectal carcinoma.

Background: The problem of the relationship between blood carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and tissue CEA content in colorectal carcinoma, and the mechanisms for CEA release from tumor cells in tissue adjacent to the neoplasm is important to understanding the biology of colorectal carcinoma. It has not been adequately explained whether CEA in the peripheral blood is drained mainly by portal system blood or by the lymphatic system, or indeed by both systems.

Aim: To study the behavior of CEA levels in peripheral blood (CEA-p) and venous effluent blood (CEA-d) among patients with colorectal tumors, who underwent curative operation.

Biliary carcinoembryonic antigen levels in diagnosis of occult hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma.

Aim: To prospectively explore the role of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in gallbladder bile in patients with colorectal carcinoma and the morphological and clinical features of neoplasia and the occurrence of hepatic metastases.

Methods: CEA levels in the gallbladder and peripheral blood were studied in 44 patients with colorectal carcinoma and 10 patients with uncomplicated cholelithiasis. CEA samples were collected from the gallbladder bile and peripheral blood during the operation, immediately before extirpating the colorectal neoplasia or cholecystectomy.