CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF LUNG-CANCER USING BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY WITH HEALTHY-SUBJECTS, CHRONIC-BRONCHITIS, RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS AND INTERSTITIAL PULMONARY-DISEASES

The use of serum CEA values in the prognosis and in monitoring the cou rse of lung cancer is well accepted. However, the main problem present ed by using serum CEA determinations for diagnosis is the lack of sens itivity. In this study, sensitivity was increased by determining CEA u sing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of the affected lung. We studied CEA in the BAL of healthy subjects and patients with chronic bronchitis, respiratory infections and interstitial pulmonary diseases to observe if CEA could differentiate malignancies from benign pulmonary patholog ies. Five groups of patients (previously described) were studied using BAL in the affected area of the patients with lung pathologies or in the middle lobe and lingula of healthy people. CEA was analyzed in the BAL using radioimmunoanalysis according to the Behring Institute reco mmendations. CEA levels in BAL of lung cancer patients were higher tha n in the other groups. No correlation was found between CEA concentrat ions in BAL and tumor histology. CEA studies in BAL may be useful in t he diagnosis of lung cancer and in the screening of the high risk peop le to develop bronchial carcinoma.