[Interest and limits of estimation of the carcinoembryonic antigen in colonic and rectal (author's transl)].

An attempt is made to define the usefulness and limitations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) radioimmunoassay for evaluation of diagnosis, tumor resection and detection of tumor relapse in 108 patients with colorectal carcinoma. Preoperative CEA levels were correlated with pathological stage and tumors localisations. Increasing levels of CEA were found with advanced stage of disease (Stage C and D lesions). Our results indicate: 1) that an incomplete drop in circulating CEA level one month after surgery was a bad prognostic sign; 2) that relapses of colon and rectum carcinoma can be detected by increased CEA levels months before the appearance of any clinical evidence.