Is carcinoembryonic antigen positive a sign of cancer?

Carcinoembryonic antigen is divided into positive and negative. Many people are concerned about whether a positive carcinoembryonic antigen is cancer. In fact, this is related to the level of carcinogens in the human serum. Generally, a slightly higher level of carcinogens in the serum indicates that there will be a tumor in the body, but it will not be cancer. On weekdays, you should pay more attention to rest, have regular eating habits, and eat light and low-salt food. So, whether carcinoembryonic antigen positivity is cancer is explained in more detail below.

Carcinoembryonic antigen is a protein synthesized by the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas during the embryonic period. A small amount of carcinoembryonic antigen is also synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract of adults, but it does not enter the blood system but is excreted through the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, there is only a trace amount of carcinoembryonic antigen in the serum of normal adults. In the case of gastrointestinal tumors, the carcinoembryonic antigen in the serum will increase significantly. If the carcinoembryonic antigen in the serum exceeds 20 micrograms per liter of blood, it indicates the presence of gastrointestinal tumors.

However, other malignant tumors such as lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and some benign diseases such as nonspecific colitis, collagen diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc. will also increase. A positive carcinoembryonic antigen does not necessarily mean cancer. Some gastrointestinal diseases can also cause a positive carcinoembryonic antigen. Of course, some normal people may occasionally have a slightly higher level. For the sake of caution, it is recommended to continue to check. If the carcinoembryonic antigen continues to rise, the possibility of tumor needs to be ruled out.

There are usually several types of carcinoembryonic antigens, each representing a different organ, but a positive result does not necessarily mean it is cancer. A weakly positive carcinoembryonic antigen test does not necessarily mean cancer. Some gastrointestinal diseases can also cause a weakly positive carcinoembryonic antigen test. Sometimes a false positive test will occur, but once the carcinoembryonic antigen test is positive, the first thing to do is to recheck to see if it is a measurement error. Secondly, if it is still positive, a comprehensive physical examination should be performed, because some early cancers do not have any symptoms but only manifest as an increase in carcinoembryonic antigen.

The level of carcinoembryonic antigen is related to the following factors:

① It is related to the early, middle and late stages of cancer. The carcinoembryonic antigen value increases in the late stages, but the positive rate is not very high.

② It is related to tumor metastasis. After metastasis, the concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen also increases.

③It is related to the tissue type of cancer. Adenocarcinoma is the most sensitive, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and poorly differentiated carcinoma. This shows that carcinoembryonic antigen is a differentiation antigen. The higher the degree of differentiation, the higher the positive rate.

④ It is related to the improvement of the disease. The serum carcinoembryonic antigen concentration decreases when the disease improves and increases when the disease worsens. Continuous follow-up testing of carcinoembryonic antigen can be used to observe the efficacy and prognosis of malignant tumors after surgery, and can also be used to observe the efficacy of chemotherapy in patients.

According to your own situation, go to the hospital for a more comprehensive examination and determine the next treatment measures based on the examination results. If the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is positive but not extremely high, it has no meaning. You don't need to worry too much about it. If it is extremely high, it often indicates that a malignant tumor may have appeared in an organ of your body. It is recommended to conduct further examination, find the source of the disease, and receive timely treatment.