Correlation between Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Level and Histologic Subtype in Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background: Recent studies revealed a relationship between ground-glass opacity (GGO) ratio on computedtomography (CT) and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in lung adenocarcinoma. Since an associationbetween lepidic histologic pattern and GGO is well accepted, we investigated the link between histologic subtypeand serum CEA level in resected lung adenocarcinoma. Materials and
Methods: One hundred and eighty-oneconsecutive patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma were studied retrospectively. The histologic subtypewas subdivided into 2 groups: lepidic dominant histologic subtype, including adenocarcinoma in situ, minimallyinvasive adenocarcinoma and lepidic predominant invasive adenocarcinoma versus other subtypes.
Results:The 5-year survival of patients with s high serum CEA level was significantly more unfavorable than that withnormal levels. Similarly, there was also a relationship between the patient survival and histologic subtype,with favorable survival found in patients with the lepidic dominant histologic subtype. There was a significantrelationship between serum CEA level and lepidic dominant histologic subtype overall and in p-stage I patients.
Conclusions: Lung adenocarcinomas with non-lepidic dominant histologic subtype are associated with highserum CEA levels.