Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with tumors of the urogenital tract

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was elevated in 35 (30%) of 116 patients with cancer of the urogenital tract and in only one of 17 patients with benign urologic disease. No positive results were seen in any of 17 patients with well-controlled prostatic carcinoma, whereas 7 of 11 patients with active disease had positive results. In carcinoma of the bladder, 2 of 24 patients with inactive disease and 10 of 20 with active disease had positive results. The test seems to be useful in the follow-up of cancer patients and in evaluating the results of therapy, but the use of the CEA assay as a diagnostic procedure must await the characterization of more specific antigens obtained from urologic tissues.