[Carcinoembryonic antigen in retinoblastomas (author's transl)].

In 47 patients (46 children and 1 adult) with unilateral and bilateral retinoblastoma, the titer of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was determined. The CEA titer of children with active retinoblastomas was 1.44 +/- 0.26 ng/ml (x +/- SEM). Those patients whose retinoblastoma was inactivated by therapy did not show a significantly lower CEA titer. In the group of children with one eye removed because of a unilateral retinoblastoma, the CEA titer was significantly (P less than 0.1) lower. The globes of 25 children were examined histologically. In those cases with invasion of the optic nerve or choroid, the CEA titer was significantly higher (P less than 0.1) as compared with those where the tumor was limited to the retina alone.