The Meaning of Serum CEA in Urologic Disease

Kim, Sang O; Palc, Jae Seung

Abstract

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were measured in the serum of 35 normal control group and 200 urologic cases of tumor and non-tumor groups at the Department of Urology, National Medical Center during the period from November, 1981 to June, 1983. The following results were obtained: 1. Mean serum CEA level in normal control subjects was 3.2 +/- 2.4 ng/ml. 2. Incidence of positive results and mean serum CEA levels in each groups of disease were as follows: 15 of 30 cases (50%) and 30.0 ng/ml in tumor group, 9 of 30 cases (30.0%) and 9.6 ng/ml in benign prostatic hyperplasia, 13 of 55 cases (23.6%) and 7.4 ng/ml in calculous disease group, 5 of 30 cases (16.7%) and 12.8 ng/ml in infectious disease group, 3 of 26 cases ( 11.5%) and 4.6 ng/ml in congenital anomaly group, I of 14 cases (7.1%) and 4.1 ng/ml in injury group. 3. Incidence of positive results and mean serum CEA levels in each tumor were as follows: 9 of 14 cases (64.3%) and 44.6 ng/ml in bladder tumor, 3 of 3 cases (100%) and 33.7 ng/ml in prostate cancer, 1 of 4 cases (25%) and 8.0 ng/ml in renal cell carcinoma, 1 of 2 cases and 13.0 ng/ml in testis tumor, 1 of 1 case and 84.0 ng/ml in renal pelvis tumor. 4. Mostly the frequency of abnormal serum CEA values correlated with the grade and stage of bladder tumor. 5. The raised serum CEA levels declined to normal early in the postoperative period in the tumor and non-tumor groups if adequate surgery had been effected. 6. Due to low positive result in tumor group (50%) and relatively high positive results in non-tumor groups (20.5%), serum CEA values were of little value in the diagnosis of genitourinary tract tumor.