What Is a Cea Cancer Marker?

The CEA cancer marker is a protein that appears in the blood when there are certain types of cancer tumors in the body. Doctors use the CEA cancer marker to measure the progress of cancer treatments and tumors.

Definition

• CEA stands for carcinoembryonic antigen.

Identification

• Doctors use CEA numbers to measure the progression of cancer in the intestines (both colon and rectal), breast, pancreas, ovary and lung.

Function

• Blood tests are used to check for the presence and level of CEA markers. A medical technician takes a sample of blood from your arms. He sends the sample to a laboratory to be tested for CEA cancer markers.

Significance

• If CEA numbers drop during the course of cancer treatment, it means the tumors are shrinking and that the treatment is working.

Discovery

• In patients with symptoms that match cancer, doctors request CEA numbers to determine if cancer is involved. Doctors also use the CEA cancer marker to check for recurrence of cancer.