Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) represents a family of about 36 glycoproteins on the surface of cell membrane of a number of organs of ectodermal origin, particularly in GIT. It is commonly formed in epithelial cells during fetal development. It somehow facilitates the cellular adhesion during the embryogenesis and indirectly immunosuppresses T-lymphocytes, but the exact function is not fully known. The half-life in the body is 7-14 days, and the normal value is up to 3 μg / l, for smokers up to 5 μg / l.

CEA can be pathologically increased in cirrhosis and GIT inflammation. It is used as a marker of treatment success in colorectal cancer, breast cancer, pulmonary cancer, ovarian cancer and metastatic liver disease. The decrease in CEA after the 4th week from operation indicates the successful treatment.