CEA
Meaning of CEA: CEA abbreviates carcinoembryonic antigen, a blood protein tracked over time to help monitor colorectal cancer for recurrence after treatment.
Definition of CEA
CEA is the abbreviation for carcinoembryonic antigen, a protein measured in the blood and used mainly as a tumor marker for colorectal cancer. A level is often established before treatment begins, and levels are checked periodically afterward, since a rising CEA over time can suggest that cancer has returned or progressed.
CEA can also be elevated in several other cancers and in certain noncancerous conditions, including some liver and digestive disorders, and levels tend to run higher in people who smoke. Because of this, an elevated CEA result alone does not confirm cancer, and a normal result does not rule it out.
CEA is therefore generally interpreted alongside other testing and imaging rather than used as a stand-alone screening test, and it is most useful for tracking change over time in someone already diagnosed with a cancer known to produce it.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
CEA levels were rechecked at a follow-up visit to monitor for signs of recurrence.
Good to know
A single CEA measurement is less informative than the trend over repeated measurements, since the test is mainly used to detect a meaningful change over time rather than to establish a diagnosis from one result alone.