Premium
Carcinoembryonic antigen in carcinoma of the uterine cervix 2. Tissue localization and correlation with plasma antigen concentration
Author(s) -
Van Nagell J. R.,
Donaldson E. S.,
Gay E. C.,
Hudson S.,
Sharkey R. M.,
Primus F. J.,
Powell D. F.,
Goldenberg D. M.
Publication year - 1979
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(197909)44:3<944::aid-cncr2820440323>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - carcinoembryonic antigen , medicine , antigen , carcinoma , pathology , cancer , immunology
Immunoperoxidase staining for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was performed on the tumors of 241 patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix. Positive tissue staining indicative of a CEA concentration of at least 3 μg/gm was present in 154 tumors (63%) as opposed to 0 of 30 specimens of normal cervix (p < 0.001). Plasma CEA values were obtained at the time of tissue staining on all patients. Plasma CEA concentration was related more directly to total tumor burden (tumor CEA content × extent of disease) than to tumor CEA concentration alone. Progressively rising plasma CEA levels predicted recurrent disease in over 80% of patients whose tumors stained positively for CEA. In contrast, serial plasma CEA values correlated positively with clinical disease status in only 28% of patients whose tumors were devoid of CEA. Immunoperoxidase staining of tissue specimens identifies those patients whose tumors contain high levels of CEA and who therefore should benefit most from subsequent plasma antigen determinations.