CEA (CARCINO EMBRYONIC ANTIGEN)
The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test may be used:To monitor the treatment of people diagnosed with colon cancer. It may also be used as a marker for medullary thyroid cancer and cancers of the rectum, lung, breast, liver, pancreas, stomach, and ovaries. An initial CEA test is typically ordered prior to treatment as a "baseline" value. If the level is elevated, then the test can be used to monitor a person's response to therapy and to determine whether the cancer has progressed or recurred.To stage cancer—cancer staging involves evaluating the size of the tumor as well as how far it has spread.Testing CEA in a body fluid sample may help to determine if cancer has spread to a body cavity such as the chest or abdomen (pleural or peritoneal cavity).A CEA test may be used in combination with other tumor markers in the evaluation of cancer.Not all cancers produce CEA, and a positive CEA test is not always due to cancer. Therefore, CEA is not recommended for screening the general population.
