CEA Test Price in Nakhara

Test Description

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) is a cell-surface glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily (CEACAM5 gene) involved in cell adhesion. It is expressed during foetal development and in low concentrations in normal adult colonic epithelium, but overexpressed in a variety of epithelial malignancies. CEA is the primary tumour marker for colorectal cancer (CRC) and is also elevated in cancers of the lung, breast, pancreas, stomach, thyroid (medullary), cervix, and bladder. Normal range: <2.5 ng/mL (non-smokers); <5.0 ng/mL (smokers). CEA is not recommended as a primary screening test for colorectal cancer due to low sensitivity in early-stage disease (~50% elevation in Stage I). Its primary clinical roles are: post-operative surveillance after curative CRC resection (rising CEA suggests recurrence); monitoring response to chemotherapy or targeted therapy (declining CEA = favourable response); and staging workup (markedly elevated CEA at diagnosis correlates with advanced stage and poorer prognosis). Non-malignant causes of CEA elevation include smoking, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, hypothyroidism, and renal failure. Serial CEA measurements are more meaningful than isolated values; a progressive rise in post-resection CEA warrants CT scanning of chest, abdomen, and pelvis to assess for recurrence or metastasis. CEA is also used in conjunction with CA 19-9 in pancreatic cancer evaluation.