[Clinical value of the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen in bronchial secretion (author's transl)].

Determination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by radioimmunoassay was performed in per-endoscopic obtained bronchial secretion. Bronchial CEA values are higher in the case of primary carcinoma of the lung than of metastatic lung cancer or pulmonary benign disease (p less than 0.0005). More interesting is the ratio bronchial CEA/serum CEA which is much higher in primary carcinoma of the lung than in benign disease (p less than 0.0005) and lower in metastatic lung carcinoma than benign disease (p less than 0.0025). In primary carcinoma of the lung, the CEA determination seems to have a prognostic value since higher levels are reported in patients unsuccessfully treated than in treated patients with apparent remission.