Home
HelpTest Code CEA Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), Serum
Specimen Required
Patient Preparation: For 12 hours before specimen collection, patient should not take multivitamins or dietary supplements (eg, hair, skin, and nail supplements) containing biotin (vitamin B7).
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Container/Tube:
Preferred: Serum gel
Acceptable: Red top
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 0.6 mL Serum
Collection Instructions:
1. Within 2 hours of collection, centrifuge the specimen.
2. For serum gel tubes, serum may sit on gel refrigerated but must be aliquoted within 7 days.
3. For red top tubes, aliquot serum into a plastic vial within 2 hours of collection.
CMH COLLECTION: 1.5 mL in red gel vacutainer
Specimen Minimum Volume
Serum: 0.5 mL
Specimen Stability Information
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Serum | Refrigerated (preferred) | 7 days |
| Frozen | 90 days |
Useful For
Monitoring colorectal cancer and selected other cancers such as medullary thyroid carcinoma
May be useful in assessing the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation treatment
This test is not useful for screening the general population for undetected cancers.
Reject Due To
| Gross hemolysis | Reject |
| Gross lipemia | OK |
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Friday
Report Available
1 to 3 daysReporting Name
Carcinoembryonic Ag (CEA), SReference Values
Nonsmokers: ≤3.0 ng/mL
Some smokers may have elevated CEA, usually <5.0 ng/mL.
Serum markers are not specific for malignancy, and values may vary by method.
Method Name
Immunoenzymatic Assay
Performing Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester
CPT Code Information
82378