The role of carcinoembryonic antigen in surveillance of patients with choroidal malignant melanoma: a prospective study.

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels were measured in nine patients with choroidal malignant melanoma prior to enucleation and at three-month intervals thereafter for three years. Raised levels were found preoperatively in four of the nine patients. One of these patients had persistent and progressive elevation of serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels postoperatively, and clinical evidence of metastases subsequently became apparent. In the remaining eight patients, carcinoembryonic antigen levels remained at or returned to normal values and no clinical evidence of progression of the disease was detected. These results suggest that although serum carcinoembryonic antigen estimation is not a reliable diagnostic screening test for choroidal malignant melanoma, it may be useful for follow-up and monitoring of recurrences of the disease.