What is a carcinoembryonic antigen test?
Definition The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test is a laboratory blood study. CEA is a substance which is normally found only during fetal development, but may reappear in adults who develop certain types of cancer. Purpose The CEA test is ordered for patients with known cancers. The CEA test is most commonly ordered when a patient has a cancer of the gastrointestinal system. These include cancer of the colon, rectum, stomach (gastric cancer), esophagus, liver, or pancreas. It is also used with cancers of the breast, lung, or prostate. The CEA level in the blood is one of the factors that doctors consider when determining the prognosis, or most likely outcome of a cancer. In general, a higher CEA level predicts a more severe disease, one that is less likely to be curable. But it does not give clear-cut information. The results of a CEA test are usually considered along with other laboratory and/or imaging studies to follow the course of the disease. Once treatment for the cancer has
