Carcinoembryonic antigen

Carcinoembryonic antigen: role in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tumors

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CAE) is a protein that is produced in embryonic and fetal tissues, but can also be produced by gastrointestinal (GI) tumors and other cancers. ACE is one of the most well-known tumor markers used in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.

ACE was first discovered in 1965 in patients with colon cancer. It was called carcinoembryonic because its levels were high in embryos and fetuses but low in adults. Currently, ACE is used as a marker to determine the presence and stage of gastrointestinal cancer, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Under normal conditions, ACE is produced in fetal tissues such as the liver, intestines and pancreas, but its levels in the blood of adults are usually very low. However, in gastrointestinal tumors, the level of ACE can increase significantly. This is due to the fact that tumor cells produce this protein in large quantities.

Elevated ACE levels may indicate the presence of gastrointestinal cancer, but they may also be elevated in other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease. Therefore, elevated ACE levels are not a definite sign of gastrointestinal cancer and must be confirmed by other diagnostic methods.

ACE can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for gastrointestinal cancer. After surgery or chemotherapy, ACE levels should decrease. If ACE levels do not decrease or increase, this may indicate that treatment is not effective and a change in treatment strategy is required.

In conclusion, carcinoembryonic antigen is an important marker for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. However, elevated ACE levels are not a definite sign of gastrointestinal cancer and must be confirmed by other diagnostic methods. It can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for gastrointestinal cancer. It is important to remember that early detection of gastrointestinal cancer can increase the chances of successful treatment and patient survival.