CEA tissue staining in colorectal cancer patients. A way to improve the usefulness of serial serum CEA evaluation

Abstract

The evaluation of serial plasma carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels is one of the most important parameter used to establish the prognosis of surgically cured colorectal cancer patients. Carcinoembryonic antigen is particularly useful in the identification of recurrences and metastasis. However, to improve the usefulness of this assay, it would be helpful to accurately determine, if possible, those patients whose cancers produce CEA. The evaluation of the presence of CEA in these cancer specimens by means of immunoperoxidase staining technique does seem to improve the sensitivity of the CEA test. Fifty‐seven patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgical treatment were studied. Tissue CEA evaluation was correlated with the plasma CEA levels, the pathologic stage and grade, and histologic type of the cancers. Results demonstrate that 66.6% of Dukes' B cancers, 78.9% of Dukes' C, and 77.7% of Dukes' D cancers stained positively for CEA by immunoperoxidase. Thirty of 57 patients with preoperative pathologic plasma CEA levels had positive tissue CEA, whereas 8/57 patients did not. Of patients with a well‐differentiated cancer (G1), 81.4% had positive tissue CEA versus the 64% of G2 and 60% of G3 cancers. The authors conclude that the use of the immunoperoxidase stain to measure CEA in tissue, so that the CEA serum assay may be used in those patients known to produce CEA, results in a major increase in the sensitivity of the test.

Prognostic Significance of CYFRA21-1, CEA and Hemoglobin in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cancer Undergoing Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

“…CEA is the most widely used and readily available tumor marker for the management of colorectal carcinoma (Hamada et al, 1985;Midiri et al, 1985;Wiggers et al, 1986). CEA immunoreactivity was frequently detected in the carcinoma cells as well as in the stroma around the cancer tissues.…”

Dendritic Cell-specific Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 3-grabbing Non-integrin (DC-SIGN) Recognizes a Novel Ligand, Mac-2-binding Protein, Characteristically Expressed on Human Colorectal Carcinomas

“…In general, these changes have been associated with a poor prognosis, as they are linked to the aggressiveness and metastatic capacity of tumors. Good examples of heavily glycosylated tumor antigens are CEA and CEACAM1 (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), which can be secreted or expressed by colon cancer cells. Because the function of dendritic cells may be dependent on their binding properties as to self-antigens and pathogens, it is essential to obtain a detailed insight into the carbohydrate-binding properties of DC-SIGN.…”

Phase I Hepatic Immunotherapy for Metastases Study of Intra-Arterial Chimeric Antigen Receptor–Modified T-cell Therapy for CEA+ Liver Metastases

“…Such modified T cells have been alternatively termed “designer T cells”, “T-bodies”, or “CAR-T cells” (13–15). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an attractive target for CAR-T treatment of adenocarcinoma LM given high levels of CEA expression and the ability to measure CEA in serum (16, 17). Upon antigen recognition, anti-CEA CAR-Ts proliferate, produce cytokines, and kill target cells (18).…”