ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Colon cancer is a primary human cancer that accounts for approximately one-tenth of all cancers and is one of the three most common cancers in incidence and mortality. This study investigated the relationship between serum preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), patient characteristics and lymph node (LND) involvement in early-stage colon cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 154 patients who had undergone surgery for early-stage colon cancer were included in this study. Patient demographics regarding age and gender, laboratory parameters, tumor size, and tumor laterality were recorded. CEA and CA19-9 positivity was defined as patients whose tumor markers were above the cut-off values, and patients were grouped according to CEA and CA19-9 positivity. Patients were compared according to the CEA and CA19-9 status and pathological LND involvement. RESULTS: We found that patients in the CEA (+) and CA19-9 (+) groups were significantly older than the others. Our study detected LND involvement in histopathological examination in 25% of patients. LND pathological participation was significantly higher in the CEA (+) CA19-9 (+) group, and being age 65 years or older was found to be a risk factor for pathological LND involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should pay more attention to LND involvement when both CEA and CA19-9 are elevated preoperatively in early-stage colon cancer patients. Preoperative CEA and CA19-9 status of patients is important in predicting LND involvement and, as a result, the prognosis of these patients.
