Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a nonspecific serum biomarker that is elevated in many malignancies, including colorectal cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and mucinous ovarian cancer. CEA was first detected in colon cancer cells by Freedman and Gold and was eventually found in various other epithelial cells in the stomach, tongue, esophagus, cervix, and prostate. This glycoprotein has a molecular weight of 200 kDa and is normally derived from fetal embryonic endodermal epithelium, controlled by fetal oncogenes.
CEA usually disappears from serum after birth. However, small quantities of CEA may remain in colon tissue. CEA and related genes (29 are present, with 18 normally expressed) constitute the CEA family in human beings and are clustered in chromosome 19q13.2. Serum CEA elevation is not a definitive marker of any particular cancer site of origin since this finding is associated with various types of malignant and nonmalignant medical conditions (see Table. Malignant and Nonmalignant Conditions Associated with Carcinoembryonic Antigen Elevation). Therefore, obtaining CEA levels in isolation is not recommended for routine cancer screening or diagnosis. CEA is currently being studied as a target for various cancer-directed therapies.
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