Serum CEA as a prognostic factor in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix treated by radiation therapy

Serum CEA levels were serially examined during radiation therapy in 38 patients with stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Eighteen patients showed abnormal serum CEA levels and 20 showed normal serum CEA levels before therapy. The recurrence rate was independent of whether the patients showed normal or abnormal levels before radiation therapy. When pretreatment abnormal serum CEA levels remained unchanged at the termination of radiation therapy, the recurrence rate was high. Recurrence developed in many of the patients outside the irradiated field early after therapy, suggesting that distant metastasis had already existed at the termination of therapy. Even when pretreatment abnormal serum CEA levels turned to normal until the termination of therapy, approximately one third of the patients developed recurrence. However, the recurrence rate was lower in those patients, as compared with that in the former type of patients (p < 0.04). In determining the prognosis of cancer patients treated by radiation therapy, it is of great value to know whether pretreatment abnormal serum CEA levels remains unchanged or becomes normal until the termination of radiation therapy. (Namekawa, K.)