COLORECTAL-CANCER - MORPHOLOGIC VARIABLES RELATED WITH CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN SERUM ELEVATION (CEA)

OBJECTIVE: the purpose of this study is to identify morphologic parame ters of colorectal adenocarcinoma which may be of influence in the inc rease of preoperatory CEA serum levels. METHOD: this Study includes 12 7 patients on whom colectomy was performed. Twenty-eight morphologic p arameters were analyzed in each surgical specimen. Serum determination s were made by enzymatic immunoassay. A multivariate study (logistic r egression analysis) was made. Independent risk factors for CEA serum e levation were Cytologic Atypia (odd ratio: 2.85) Infiltrative Growth P attern (odd ratio: 2.91) and the presence of tumoral cell infiltration directly among adipocytes (odd ratio: 2.62), When clinical variables (age, sex, tumor location, perforation, occlusion, hepatic metastases and peritoneal carcinomatosis) were added, the infiltrative growth pat tern (odd ratio: 3.12) and cytologic atypia persisted as independent r isk factors, together with the clinical variable Hepatic Metastases (o dd ratio: 24.84). CONCLUSION: in our series the morphologic variables Infiltrative Growth Pattern and Cytologic Atypia are independently rel ated with CEA serum increase and are not influenced by the variable He patic Metastases.