Carcinoembryonic antigen CEA why increases

Scientific editor: M. Merkusheva, PSPbGMU them. Acad. Pavlov, general medicine.
March, 2019.

Synonyms: carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen, Carcinoembryonic Antigen, CEA.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), - a blood component protein, tumor marker, which is used in the diagnosis of benign and malignant processes of the intestine. A healthy body produces electronics in minimal amounts, but under the influence of adverse factors (smoking, diet, and so illiterate. D.) Its level can start to grow.

Analysis on the CEA allows timely identification of malignant processes of the colon and other organs (colon, stomach, lung, ovaries, mammary glands).

Overview

Carcinoembryonic antigen was first identified in 1965 in a patient with cancer of the colon. This enzyme protein origin starts produced in the fetus from the time of formation of the intestine (esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines). At this time, the concentration of the substance reaches its limit. After the birth of the child in the blood plasma remains insignificant amount of REA, which tends to decrease with age. The substance in the residual amount detected not only in blood, but also in organ tissues of the gastrointestinal tract and the lung, breast epithelium, on mucosal surfaces in the cerebrospinal fluid and ascites. After the birth of a gene that is responsible for the production of embryonic antigens, which normally has to be deactivated.

Increasing the level of CEA in adults observed in the pathological (mostly benign or malignant) process, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, as well as during pregnancy (3 trimester increases to, but values ​​remain normal or prolonged smoking¹.

On a note: smoking habit leads to an overestimation of CEA in the blood, which indicates an increase in the risk of cancer. In a healthy person the rate of CEA in blood is 2.5 ng / ml of blood, while the smoker it can be up to 5 ng / ml or more.

Complete cessation of smoking in just 3 months leads to a significant improvement in lung function and a reduction of serum CEA².

Analysis on the CEA allows early diagnosis of malignant processes of the following organs:

• especially colorectal cancer;
• bronchi and lungs;
• Gastrointestinal organs (including the pancreas);
• pelvic organs (uterus and appendages, prostate gland);
• breast cancer;
• metastases to the liver;
• metastasized to bone.

testimony

Giving direction to the analysis and provide decoding results of the study at the CEA tumor marker can conduct an oncologist, surgeon, functional diagnostician and competent therapist.

First of all, the expert assigns test CEA blood in the presence of anxiety symptoms, indicating the development of benign or malignant process:

• foreign body sensation in the body, visual determination of the tumor and / or palpation at palpation;
• constipation, feeling of incomplete bowel movements, rectal bleeding;
• heavy chest cough for a long time, shortness of breath;
• unwarranted increase in body temperature, fever;
• sweating during the night's rest;
• indigestion, loss of appetite;
• chronic fatigue and lethargy, reduction of power performance, muscle tone;
• a sharp decrease in body weight without objective reasons;
• rapid loss of fluid from the body;
• Hyperthyroidism (hypersecretion of thyroid hormones);
• increasing the number of moles on the body for a short period of time;
• bleeding of unknown origin;
• long healing of wounds on the body;
• nagging and nagging pains without an established cause.

In addition to the above symptoms, test for CEA is prescribed in the following cases:

• determining species localization stage malignancy, metastases;
• choice of cancer conservative treatment scheme and evaluation of its effectiveness;
• determining the effectiveness of surgical treatment of tumor (REA should bounce back after 2 months after surgery). And the CEA levels are often high at the time of relapse, even if it was normal to the removal of the initial tumor, thus testing CEA It should be carried out regularly for a long time after the operation, irrespective of whether there were high levels on initial diagnosis.
• standard analysis for suspected benign or malignant processes of the digestive tract, in particular, direct or colon;
• in cases of suspected breast, lung, ovary, metastasis to the liver and bone;
• planned analysis of patients in the dynamics after the cancer treatment.

Annual study on the concentration of CEA in the blood administered to patients who are at risk for factors:

• heredity (first line relatives had oncology internal organs);
• work in hazardous environments (risk of poisoning by toxins, radioactive components, radiation);
• living in a disadvantaged region with a high level of radioactivity, near the industrial enterprises;
• abuse solarium (tanning increases the likelihood of benign and malignant processes), sunbathing;
• elderly patients over 60 years with a history of history (abuse of alcohol or cigarettes, the presence of relatives of the second and third line with internal organs cancer).

CEA normal

Important! Rates can vary depending on the reagents and equipment used in a particular laboratory. That is why the interpretation of results it is necessary to use standards adopted in that laboratory, where medical tests. It is also necessary to pay attention to the units.

Babies in the womb figure is overstated and may persist for some time after that of birth. Typically, the assay is performed for adults, where reference values ​​will be different for people with and without nicotine dependence.

• for non-smokers: 0 - 3.8 ng / ml;
• dry cleaning: 0 - 5.5 ng / ml³.

Important! Interpretation of the results is always carried out comprehensively. An accurate diagnosis on the basis of only one analysis impossible.

Increasing values

In case of exceeding admissible values ​​(6.5 - 10 ng / ml) suspected of developing a benign process of internal organs, but not eliminated the initial stage of cancer. If CEA reached 10 ng / mL, and continues to grow, then connect additional studies for the diagnosis of cancer processes in the body. Typically, when cancers carcinoembryonic antigen can be increased by several times, and the presence of metastasis rate exceeds the rate of several tens of times.

Increased to 10 ng / ml

Increasing the rate to 10 ng / ml may indicate the following pathological processes:

• tumors of internal organs (neurinoma, lipomas, polyps, fibroids, cysts, etc...);
• ulcerative processes of the gastric mucosa and colon;
• benign liver tumors (hepatocellular adenoma, hemangioma) and diseases (hepatitis, cirrhosis, Acute alcohol intoxication or chemical, nodular hyperplasia of the type);
• respiratory diseases (pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.);
• Crohn's disease (Granulomatous inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract);
• emphysema (abnormal enlargement of alveoli of the lungs);
• tuberculosis;
• inflammation of the digestive tract, including the pancreas (pancreatitis);
• renal failure;
• cystic fibrosis (Heavy defeat exocrine glands).
• autoimmune diseases;
• smoking

CEA strongly promoted

By increasing the concentration of CEA than 10 ng / ml suspected malignant following processes:

• rectal cancer, colorectal or colon (CEA longer increased in right organ lesions);
• cancer of the respiratory system (lungs, bronchus, pleura);
• stomach cancer (in addition to the prescribed study CA 19-9 and CA 72-4);
• cancer of the female reproductive organs (uterus and cervix, ovaries), the prostate gland in men;
• Oncology other internal organs (rarely) the mammary glands, esophagus, thyroid (medullary carcinoma), bladder, liver, etc .;.
• metastasized to bone, liver.

Table: CEA sensitivity to diseases⁴:

Increasing the concentration of CEA than 20 ng / ml before therapy indicates tumor metastasis.

CEA levels decreased

Lowering the level of CEA - the good news:

• surgical removal of a malignant tumor.
• successful treatment of cancer.

Preparation for analysis

The biomaterial for research: serum of venous blood.

Method biomaterial sampling: the antecubital vein venipuncture.

Mandatory conditions: venipuncture is conducted strictly on an empty stomach in the morning (from 8.00 to 12.00).

Additional requirements:

• fasting for 8-12 hours;
• avoiding alcohol, smoking, physical exertion, emotional stress, heavy and fatty foods the day before the study;
• waiver of any beverage other than water 3 hours prior to the test;
• a state of physical and emotional rest for 30 minutes before analysis.

Also prior to the test at the CEA patient must put a doctor in popularity over the current schemes treatment, when it is necessary to specify the names of drugs and dosage, frequency and duration of their reception.

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sources:

• 1. Ercan S., Kaymaz O. Serum concentrations of CA 125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9 and CEA in normal pregnancy: a longitudinal study. - Archives of ginecology and obstetrics, 2012.
• 2. Pezzuto A., Spoto C. Short-term effectiveness of smoking-cessation treatment on respiratory function and CEA level. - Journal of comparative effectiveness research, 2013.
• 3. These laboratories Helix.
• 4. A.A.Kishkun, prof. Manual for the laboratory diagnosis methods - GEOTAR-Media, 2007.