A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # |
CEA, Carcinoembryonic Antigen, Pancreatic Cyst Fluid
Test Code91930
Alias/See Also
LAB00874
CPT Codes
82378
Preferred Specimen
1 mL fluid
Minimum Volume
0.3 mL
Transport Container
Transport tube
Transport Temperature
Refrigerated (cold-packs)
Specimen Stability
Room temperature: 6 hours
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 30 days
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 30 days
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Gross hemolysis • Received room temperature • Turbid sample
Methodology
Immunochemiluminometric Assay (ICMA)
FDA Status
This test was developed and its analytical performance characteristics have been determined by Pan Laboratories, Irvine, CA. It has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Setup Schedule
Wed, fri
Report Available
2-6 days
Reference Range
0-5.0 ng/mL
Clinical Significance
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a 180 kD intracellular adhesion molecule expressed in high concentrations in the fetus but normally not found in adult serum because the synthesis of this protein ceases after birth. However, it reappears in a high concentration in the sera of patients with colorectal (57%), gastric(41%), hepatocellular(45%), pancreatic(59%) and biliary(59%) carcinoma. Pancreatic cysts are increasingly recognized as a dilemma in clinical practice because of their uncertain risk of malignancy. Various tumor markers (i.e. CA 19-9, amylase) have been evaluated to distinguish nonmucinous, nonmalignant pancreatic cysts from mucinous cysts, which have a high likelihood of malignancy. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been found to be the most reliable tumor marker for identifying those pancreatic cysts that are likely mucinous. In cyst aspirates, CEA concentrations > or =200 ng/mL are highly suspicious for mucinous cysts. When the concentration of CEA in cyst fluid is higher, there is a greater chance that the mucinous cyst is malignant. However, CEA testing does not reliably distinguish between benign, premalignant, or malignant mucinous cysts. CEA test results should be therefore correlated with the results of imaging studies, cytology, other cyst fluid tumor markers (i.e, amylase, lipase, CA 15-3, CA 72-4 and CA 19-9), and clinical findings for diagnosis.
Performing Laboratory
Pan Laboratories |
15375 Barranca Parkway, E-101 |
Irvine, CA 92618-2217 |