Prognostic Value of Carcinoembryonic Antigen Changes Before and After Operation for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background To study the prognostic significance of changes in the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) before and after surgery on the long-term prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods Patients with ESCC who underwent radical esophagectomy (between 2010 and 2017) were divided into three groups as follows: normal group (preoperative CEA <= 1.6 ng/ml), normalized group (preoperative CEA > 1.6 ng/ml and postoperative CEA <= 1.6 ng/ml) and non-normalized group (preoperative CEA > 1.6 ng/ml and postoperative CEA > 1.6 ng/ml). The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to construct survival curves. Cox proportional hazards regression models was used to determine the independent prognostic factors for ESCC. Variables with P < 0.1 in univariable analysis were included in the multivariable model used to determine the independent risk factors. Results A total of 394 patients were included. The 5-OS rate of ESCC patients in normalized group (n = 36) and non-normalized group (n = 161) were significantly shorter than normal group (n =197) patients (57.3% vs 58.3% vs 82.0%, P < 0.001). The difference in survival time distribution between normal group and normalized/non-normalized group is statistically significant, P < 0.001. However, there was no statistically significant variation in survival time distribution between the normalized and non-normalized groups, P = 0.289. In multivariate analysis, older age (> 65 years old), advanced pT-stage, advanced pN-stage, normalized group and non-normalized group were independent prognostic risk factors of worse overall survival. Conclusions ESCC patients with high preoperative CEA level had poorer prognosis regardless of the changes of postoperative CEA level.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of changes in the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) before and after surgery on the long-term prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The results showed that ESCC patients with high preoperative CEA level had poorer prognosis regardless of the changes of postoperative CEA level.