![]() |
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, causing more than half a million deaths annually. The overall five-year survival rate is around 65 percent, but varies depending on clinical stage (1). However, like many other malignancies, early stage disease may evoke no cancer-specific symptoms. Therefore, regular stool occult blood testing and colonoscopy screening are essential. Biomarkers for CRC have been extensively studied, with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 19-9 being the most well-established prognostic factors.
|
|
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein expressed in embryonic entodermal tissue that forms the epithelial lining of the digestive and respiratory tracts. Though usually detected at low levels in healthy adults, it can be elevated in smokers and in patients with various non-neoplastic conditions. However, increased CEA is also seen in certain malignancies, including CRC, pancreatic cancer, and specific tumors of the endocervix and ovary. Depending on the actual serum CEA value, physicians should suspect malignant or metastatic disease. Data supports the use of this tumor marker for detection of CRC recurrence, prognosis, and response to therapy. CEA antibodies are commonly used in immunohistochemistry (IHC) to study tumor progression and for tumor characterization. GeneTex’s CEA antibody [COL-1] is a cited monoclonal antibody whose utility for IHC was demonstrated on human colon carcinoma tissue (Figure 1).
![]() |
Figure 1. GeneTex’s CEA antibody [Col-1] (GTX17254) used for IHC-P on a human colon carcinoma tissue section.
|
|