[Key role of the CEA test in the diagnosis and surgical therapy of recurrent colorectal cancer].

Between 1978 and 1984, 87 patients with recurrent colorectal cancer have been operated upon. In 10 of 35 patients with locoregional recurrence and 24 of 52 with distant metastases therapy was potentially curative. Of 87 patients 73 had elevated CEA levels (greater than or equal to 5 ng/ml) at the time of diagnosis. In 65 of 73 patients the CEA increase preceded the recognition of recurrence and in 14 patients the diagnosis could be confirmed only by a second-look operation. Patients with metastases (91.3%) showed CEA elevation more often than those with locoregional recurrence (71.4%). Patients with operable disease had significantly (p less than 0.05) lower CEA values (median 19.7 ng/ml) than those with inoperable recurrent carcinomas (median 36.9 ng/ml).