Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and albumin (ALB) are proteins found in the blood that can indicate the presence or spread of colon cancer. Using this information researchers wanted to know if the levels of CEA and ALB could be predictors of survival among patients with colorectal cancer. The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology published an article that says how researchers recently evaluated data of 170 patients with early stage colon cancer.
The study showed at five years that the levels of CEA and ALB in the blood prior to treatment were significantly associated with long term survival among patients with early colorectal cancer.
This information can be used to allow treatments to become more individualized for the patients, knowing who is at greater risk for distant recurrence might warrant more aggressive treatment.
1. The picture illustrating this post is an electron microcope pitcture of two virus particles. Colon cancer has nothing to do with viruses.
Picture of the naked eye appearance of colon cancer in a surgical specimen : http://www.mdl.dk/design/assets/images/CRC1_big.jpg
Picture of the appearance of colorectal carcinoma under the microscope :
http://www.pathologyatlas.ro/Colon%20Cancer.html
Posted at 12:27PM on Aug 25th 2006 by EM