THE USE OF BILIARY CEA MEASUREMENTS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF RECURRENT COLORECTAL-CANCER

To assess the usefulness of biliary CEA determinations in the diagnosi s of recurrent tumour, gallbladder bile was sampled in patients who un derwent laparotomy for proven or suspected recurrent colorectal cancer and in control patients. Biliary CEA concentrations in controls were < 5 ng/ml, whereas significantly elevated CEA concentrations were foun d in the bile of all patients with tumour recurrence, Serum concentrat ions in these patients mere elevated in 77% only. In a series of 12 pa tients with (a) suspicious lesion(s) on liver imaging but normal serum CEA concentration during follow-up, biliary CEA determination differe ntiated clearly between metastases and benign lesions, Biliary CEA det ermination seems to aid detection of tumour recurrence at an early sta ge and may preclude unnecessary surgery in patients with undefined liv er lesions.