Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

Oncology

Normal Reference Ranges

Adult

< 3 (Non-smokers) | < 5 (Smokers) ng/mL

Pediatric

N/A ng/mL

Clinical Significance

Tumor marker primarily used to monitor colorectal cancer recurrence and response to treatment. Not used for initial screening.

Causes of High

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Pancreatic/Gastric cancer
  • Smoking
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
  • Cirrhosis

Causes of Low

  • Normal finding
  • Surgical remission of colon cancer