Individual Cutoff Levels of Carcinoembryonic Antigen and CA 242 Indicate Recurrence of Colorectal Cancer With High Sensitivity

Abstract

With individual cutoff levels, both carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 242 had high sensitivity and acceptable specificity for indicating recurrent colorectal cancer. Because most (29/33) patients with recurrent disease identified within 3 years after surgery and all 8 with hepatic metastases identified during the sampling period were indicated by carcinoembryonic antigen with the individual cutoff, that method was established as the best for postoperative surveillance.