The Specific Changes in Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels after Transcatheter Hepatic Chemo-lipiodol Infusion in Hepatic Metastases from Colorectal Cancer

Serum CEA levels in 23 patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer and AFP levels in 8 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were measured before and 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 days after hepatic infusion of chemo-lipiodol, as indices of therapeutic effect. The changes in AFP in HCC after infusion showed gradual increase or decrease. On the other hand, CEA levels in hepatic metastases on the 1st-3rd days after infusion increased transiently and decreased after these initial short-term increases in all but 3 cases. The degrees of increase varied from 20% to 363%. In cases with large increases, CEA levels decreased rapidly and the hepatic tumors had higher necrosis rates than in cases with small increases in post-infusion CEA level. Therefore, it is suggested that after hepatic infusion, the degree of initial increase and subsequent decrease in CEA levels in hepatic metastases is valuable as an index of therapeutic effect.