Elevated Pretreatment CEA and CA19-9 Levels Are Related to Early Treatment Failure in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Introduction: Chemoradiotherapy and surgery are the basis of the potentially curative treatment for esophageal cancer. Approximately 1 in 5 patients, however, do not benefit from this intensive treatment due to early treatment failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 at diagnosis, in relation to survival and early treatment failure (disease recurrence or death within 1 year after surgery).

Methods: Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma scheduled for chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery between 1998 and 2014 were selected from a retrospectively collected database if both CEA and CA19-9 levels were measured before the start of treatment.

Results: Pretreatment CEA and CA19-9 levels were known in 102 patients. Median overall survival differed (P<0.001) between patients with normal levels of both CEA and CA19-9 (n=59; 51 mo), patients with elevated CEA only (n=13; 43 mo), patients with elevated CA19-9 only (n=19; 24 mo), and those with elevated levels of both CEA and CA19-9 (n=11; 11 mo). Elevation of both CEA and CA19-9 was associated with early treatment failure (odds ratio: 10.4; 95% confidence interval: 2.4-45.5, P=0.002). Median time to tumor recurrence was 34 months in patients with normal CEA and CA19-9 levels, and 7 months in those with elevated levels of both (P=0.003).

Conclusions: Pretreatment elevated CEA and CA19-9 levels were significantly associated with early treatment failure and decreased overall survival in this esophageal adenocarcinoma patient cohort treated with curative intent. Until prospective validation, CEA and CA19-9 might play a role in identifying high-risk patients before the start of intensive locoregional therapy.