Carcinoembryonic antigen mrna in the mesenteric vein is not a predictor of hepatic metastasis in patients with resectable colorectal cancer

Abstract

This study failed to demonstrate the high predictive value of carcinoembryonic antigen messenger ribonucleic acid detection in the draining venous blood for the development of hepatic metastases. However, the authors demonstrated that the presence of cancer cells in the draining venous blood was the essential and initial step to the development of hepatic metastasis.