CEA, CA 50 and CA 242 in patients surviving colorectal cancer without recurrent disease

Aims: To establish a baseline and intraindividual fluctuations of the tumou r markers CEA, CA 50 and CA 242 in patients cured from colorectal cancer, a nd to test the hypothesis that serum concentrations and intraindividual flu ctuations do not differ from the concentrations in cancer-free individuals. Patients and methods: Ninety patients with colorectal cancer, who had under gone surgery with curative intent, were still alive at least 5 years after surgery with no signs of recurrent disease. Serum levels of tumour markers CEA, CA 50 and CA242 before and up to 2 years after surgery were analysed a fter the prospective study was terminated. Results: The pre-operative serum levels of CEA, CA 50 and CEA 242 were elev ated in 36%, 16% and 20% of the patients. They were lowered after curative surgery. A small increase of CEA levels was found after the initial postope rative decrease. The intraindividual fluctuations for CA50 and CA242 did no t exceed 15% but in 24% of the patients the serum levels of CA 50 were high and oscillating. The patients cured from Dukes' C cancer had higher serum concentrations of CEA than patients who had a Dukes' B cancer, which were h igher than in patients who had Dukes' A cancer. Concentrations of CA 242 we re higher in patients cured from Dukes' A than patients cured from Dukes' B or C cancers. Conclusions: During the first 2 years after curative surgery for colorectal cancer the serum levels of CEA did not differ from those levels in normal cancer-free subjects. The serum levels of CEA were related to Dukes' stagin g whereas the levels of CA 242 were inversely related to Dukes' staging. (C ) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.