[Study on the clinical application of plasma and tissue carcinoembryonic antigen to cases with bile duct carcinoma].

Plasma CEA (P-CEA) in 50 cases with bile duct carcinoma and tissue CEA (T-CEA) detected by PAP method in 46 resected cases with carcinoma were examined. The mean level of P-CEA was 4.4 +/- 0.6 ng/ml and the positive rate was 68%. It was considered that a factor of vessel invasion was closely related to the increasing factor of P-CEA. Concerning the relationship between P-CEA and prognosis of the patient, the level of P-CEA seemed to be useful as a parameter of recurrence of carcinoma during the follow up periods. T-CEA in the cancerous lesion was positive in 76%. There were no relations between the histology of the carcinoma and the ability to produce CEA. Conclusively, the histological type invasion of the carcinoma was detected clearly and easily by using the PAP method for T-CEA. To examine the T-CEA in the resected margin seemed to be useful as an additional diagnostic method for carcinoma in the residual bile duct.