Carcinoembryonic antigen in faeces.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (C.E.A.) was detected in the faeces of 5 out of 10 healthy volunteers, 12 out of 18 patients suffering from gastrointestinal cancer (including 10 out of 11 cases of colonic cancer), and 3 out of 13 patients suffering from non-neoplastic disease. It is suggested that C.E.A. may be present in small amounts in normal faeces but that in malignant conditions of the bowel the amount increases.