CEA AND CA-19.9 AS MARKERS OF COLORECTAL NEOPLASMS DURING CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT

Carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 19.9 are markers of colorectal neoplas ms, often related to tumor burden. Elevated pre-operative levels paral lel disease extent and may foresee adverse prognosis. CEA and CA 19.9 may increase post-operatively, indicating tumor recurrence. Only limit ed data are available on the influence of chemotherapeutic treatments on these two markers, to detect chemotherapy-induced cytolysis. We mea sured CEA and CA 19.9 before and after a chemotherapy regimen of five days consisting of folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil in forty patients w ith colorectal cancer. No consistent fluctuation was detected, the exa mined tumor markers being related in a given patient only to tumor bur den.