One of the most important tests in our daily check-ups is carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) testing.
Many people believe that if carcinoembryonic antigen is normal, the possibility of lung cancer can be ruled out. However, we must understand that it has certain limitations in the diagnosis of lung cancer.
Although carcinoembryonic antigen is a type of tumor marker, it does not play a significant role in the early stages of lung cancer or in the diagnosis of lung nodules.
That is, for those who are in the early stages of lung cancer, even if they already have lung cancer, their carcinoembryonic antigen levels may not be elevated.
Therefore, it is inaccurate to rule out lung cancer simply because carcinoembryonic antigen is normal.
In addition, we need to recognize that the value of tumor markers in the diagnosis of lung cancer is limited.
In addition to carcinoembryonic antigen, there are a variety of other tumor markers, such as AFP, CA199, NSE, CYFRA21-1, etc.
Although these markers are commonly used in screening for lung cancer, their elevation does not necessarily mean that lung cancer is present.
Sometimes, some inflammatory or other non-neoplastic conditions can also cause elevated levels of these markers.
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