The Open Clinical Cancer Journal
2007, 1 : 1-5Published online 2007 November 8. DOI: 10.2174/1874189400701010001
Publisher ID: TOCCJ-1-1
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Significance of CEA and VEGF as Diagnostic Markers of Colorectal Cancer in Lebanese Patients
2 Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
3 Currently at: Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
* Address correspondence to this author at the Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon; Tel: +961-3-430515; Fax: +961-5-460796; E-mail: ra98@aub.edu.lb
ABSTRACT
Carcinoembryonic antigen and vascular endothelial growth factors are among the most important prognostic markers of colorectal cancer. Testing for these markers independently has been of limited value in screening for this tumor. The aim of this study is to determine the importance of simultaneous blood CEA and VEGF level determinations in diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Thirty-six patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer along with eight healthy controls were tested by ELISA for CEA and VEGF levels in serum and plasma, respectively. The positive predictive value of these markers was 95.4% for CEA and 89.5% for VEGF, and for combined CEA and VEGF was also high at 88%. Combined CEA and VEGF blood level assay constitutes a useful panel in detecting patients with colorectal cancer. Positive results allow selection of a subgroup of patients with a high tumor risk; therefore, such tests comprise valuable tumor diagnostic tests to add to current detection methods.