Perioperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a key marker for predicting survival and guiding treatment in stage II and III colorectal cancer.
- Elevated perioperative CEA is linked to worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).
- Patients not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with high CEA experienced significantly poorer outcomes; adjuvant therapy notably improved OS.
Surgeons should consider perioperative CEA levels in decision-making to personalize treatment strategies, especially for those at higher risk of recurrence.
- The two-year post-surgery period is critical for monitoring recurrence in patients with elevated CEA.
Journal Article by Du FQ, Liu JL (…) Tong JX et 7 al. in World J Gastroenterol
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