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Carcinoembryonic antigen in ovarian epithelial cystadenocarcinomas. The prognostic value of tumor and serial plasma determinations
Author(s) -
Van Nagell J. R.,
Donaldson E. S.,
Gay E. C.,
Sharkey R. M.,
Rayburn P.,
Goldenberg D. M.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197806)41:6<2335::aid-cncr2820410636>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - carcinoembryonic antigen , medicine , pathology , serous fluid , serous cystadenocarcinoma , immunoperoxidase , cyst , mucinous cystadenocarcinoma , cystadenocarcinoma , cancer , ovary , ovarian cancer , antibody , monoclonal antibody , immunology
Abstract Immunoperoxidase staining for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was performed on the tumors of 88 patients with epithelial ovarian cystadenocarcinomas treated at the University of Kentucky Medical Center from 1962 to 1975. Pretherapy plasma CEA determinations were obtained in 45 of these patients, and 40 had serial plasma CEA measurements following therapy. Cyst fluid CEA concentrations were measured in 14 patients. Immunoperoxidase staining indicative of a tissue CEA concentration of at least 3 μg/g was present in 21% of mucinons tumors and 2 % of serous tumors, representing a significant (p < 0.01) difference between these two cell types. Cyst fluid CEA concentrations were above 1 μg/ml in 75% of mucinous cystadenocarcinomas but in no serous tumors. Plasma CEA levels were related both to tissue and cyst fluid CEA concentrations and to the extent or stage of disease. Plasma CEA was highest in poorly differentiated mucinous tumors. All patients with progressively increasing plasma CEA levels developed recurrent ovarian cancer and died of their disease. Nine patients developed recurrent cancer despite having normal plasma CEA values, but none of the tumors of these patients contained measurable concentrations of CEA. Serial plasma CEA determinations most accurately reflected the clinical status of disease in those patients whose tumors contained high levels of antigen. Pretherapy plasma and tumor levels of CEA should be measured in order to identify those patients in whom serial plasma CEA determinations following therapy will be useful to monitor the effects of therapy.