[Value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in assessing therapeutic success in small cell bronchial cancer].

Unlabelled: The determination of the carcino-embryonal antigen (CEA) for the assessment of the therapeutic success and course in colorectal tumours is at present an established diagnostic method. In other solid tumours, e.g. in bronchial carcinomas, the therapy monitoring by means of CEA was less tested. 92 Patients were examined, 31 of them with limited disease (l. d.) and 61 with extensive disease (e. d.). The determination of the CEA was performed before and during the combined radiation therapy and polychemotherapy with 2 different protocols of treatment: ACO (adriblastin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide), FOMC (5-fluoruracil, methotrexate, vincristine, cyclophosphamide) with the OPIDI-radioimmunoassay. Normal values: 0-10 micrograms/l. Limiting area: 11-20 micrograms/l. Pathological area: greater than 20 micrograms/l.

Results: patients with limited disease: 8 normal, 14 in the limiting area, 9 in the pathological area (29%). Patients with extensive disease: 17 normal, 19 in the limiting area, 25 in the pathological area (42%) before the beginning of the therapy. With 54 and 60 micrograms/l, respectively, the mean values of the two groups, however, did not differ significantly. Altogether 39 of the 92 patients examined (42%) showed changes of the CEA-values during the course of the disease. For the 31 patients with limited disease 26 (84%) achieved a CR. Of these 26 patients the CEA-values were increased in 7 patients, 5 of them showed a clear decrease, in 3 patients a normalization of the CEA appeared with further existing remission, which lasts for 28, 24 and 14 months. In the remaining 2 patients in the CEA-values decreased into the limiting area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)