Evaluation of cartinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with oral cancer

CEA was examined in 49 patients with oral cancer and 39 with benign oral disease as a control, in the Second Department of Oral Surgery, Kyushu Dental College Hospital, during the period from 1980 to 1983.The following results were obtained:1) Serum CEA levels in patients with oral cancer were 2.73±1.73ng/ml and 32.7% were in level over 2.5ng/ml. In squamous cell carcinoma, serum CEA was 3.03±1.87ng/ml and 37.5% was in level over 2.5ng/ml.2) Immunological localization of CEA in cancerous tissues was 54.3% and in squamous cell carcinoma was 59.3%.3) Serum CEA levels of cancerous tissue CEA-positive were 4.44±1.82ng/ml and tissue CEA-negative were 1.90±0.56ng/ml (p<0.01).4) In these investigations, CEA is considered to be clinically more useful as tumor-marker in oral cancer patients.