What is CEA?
The abbreviation CEA stands for carcinoembryonic antigen. It is a glycoprotein (protein-sugar compound) on the cell surface of mucous membranes. Physiologically, i.e. without disease value, it occurs in the gastrointestinal tract of the fetus. The body of a healthy adult, on the other hand, produces only small amounts of CEA.
CEA value: Table with standard values
As a general rule, the standard values for the tumor marker CEA are method-dependent, as is the case with almost all tumor markers. In addition, regular smoking has an influence on the established normal values:
|
CEA standard value in blood serum |
|
|
Non-smoker |
up to 4.6 ng/ml |
|
Smokers |
in 25 % of cases: 3.5 – 10.0 ng/ml in 1 % of cases: > 10.0 ng/ml |
|
high grade suspicion of cancer |
> 20.0 ng/ml |
When is the CEA value elevated?
CEA is most significant in colorectal cancer (colorectal carcinoma: cancer of the colon and rectum). In addition, the tumor marker may increase in the following cancers:
- Lung cancer (especially non-small cell bronchial carcinoma).
- Breast cancer (mammary carcinoma)
- Stomach cancer (gastric carcinoma)
- Pancreatic cancer (pancreatic carcinoma)
- ovarian cancer (ovarian carcinoma)
- medullary thyroid cancer (medullary thyroid carcinoma)
Slightly elevated CEA levels are sometimes found in the blood in various benign diseases, for example in the following cases:
- Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
- Liver cirrhosis
- Pneumonia
- bronchitis
- Cystic fibrosis
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
- Gastric ulcer
- Diverticulitis
Elevated levels also usually show up in the first six months after a birth.
When is CEA determined?
The oncologist (specialist in cancer) determines the tumor marker primarily for the following purposes:
- for staging, progression and therapy control as well as prognosis assessment in colorectal cancer (colon and rectum cancer)
- for the clarification of unclear tumors of the liver in conjunction with the AFP value
- as a secondary marker to the tumor marker CA 15-3 in breast cancer (for monitoring the success of therapy or as part of follow-up examinations)
- to detect tumor progression after surgery
- for clarifying thyroid nodules, often in combination with the marker calcitonin