Levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 19-9 in the sera and peritoneal washing of patients undergoing surgical treatment for gastric carcinoma.

Background: Early peritoneal recurrence of gastric carcinoma following curative resection remains a great challenge in the treatment and prevention of this disease.

Aim: To analyze the relationship between levels of tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 19-9 in the sera and peritoneal washing, and anatomopathological aspects of the gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Of the 46 patients in the study, 29 (63.