Carcinoembryonic antigen and interferon as tumor markers in breast cancer.

A total of 239 determinations of CEA plasma levels were performed for 83 breast cancer patients during chemotherapy or follow-up. In addition, 137 plasma samples were assayed for interferon levels. Patient clinical status was carefully scored according to objective criteria and recorded at each evaluation. Liver function tests (LFT) were performed to establish a full clinical picture at each visit. The results obtained proved a 73 to 83% positivity rate when the results of the 4 tests were compared. The importance of routine CEA assays and careful clinical evaluation and LFT are stressed. An analysis of interferon levels defined 4 distinct groups that differed by the amount of interferon present and also by clinical status and CEA levels. The results are discussed in terms of tumor volume-dependent interferon production.

CEA levels in active and non-active malignant tumors.

A total of 895 CEA estimations were carried out on serum samples from 283 patients with different primary tumor sites. All assays were performed during the period of follow up or treatment of the patients. Concomitantly with CEA estimation, activity of disease was recorded, based on objective laboratory and clinical parameters. The results obtained proved a high accuracy rate for normal CEA values in non-active disease as well as elevated CEA values in active disease. It is concluded that the correlation between CEA level and activity of disease in various neoplasms in an important aid in clinical decision making during the course of disease, provided false positive or negative results are taken into consideration.