What is CEA?

This test measures the amount of CEA in the blood, and sometimes in other body fluids. CEA is a type of tumor marker. Tumor markers are substances made by cancer cells or by normal cells in response to cancer in the body.

What the CEA test used for?

A CEA test may be used to:

• Monitor treatment of people with certain types of cancers. These include colon cancer and cancers of the rectum, prostate, ovary, lung, thyroid, and liver.
• Figure out the stage of your cancer. This means checking the size of the tumor and how far the cancer has spread.
• See if cancer has returned after treatment.

How is the procedure performed?

A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm. You may want to wear a shirt with sleeves that can easily be rolled up to make it easier to collect the blood sample. This usually takes less than five minutes.

Sometimes, CEA is tested in the spinal fluid or from fluid in the abdominal wall. For these tests, your provider will remove a small sample of fluid using a thin needle and/or syringe. The following fluids may be tested:

• Cerebrospinal (from the spine)
• Peritoneal (from the abdomen)
• Pleural (from the area next to the lungs)

What will be the results interprets?

Smoking may affect your CEA test results if you’re otherwise healthy. CEA is usually elevated, but less than 5 ng/mL in people who smoke. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.