Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels Before the First Curative Hepatectomy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Is a Predictor of Recurrence

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels before the first curative hepatectomy for metastatic colorectal cancer as a predictor of recurrence. Between 2003 and 2010, 66 patients (45 male and 21 female) who underwent a first curative hepatectomy for metastatic colorectal cancer in our hospital were evaluated retrospectively. The mean patient age was 65.2 years (range=31-80 years). A total of 28 patients had synchronous liver metastasis, and the other 38 patients developed metachronous liver metastasis. The 5-year relapse-free survival rate after the first hepatectomy of the 16 patients with normal serum CEA level was 61.1%, whereas that of the 50 patients with abnormal serum CEA level was 34.3% (p