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Colorectal Cancer (Patient)

Patient Description
42-year-old female with history of colon cancer has elevated serum CEA levels. A CT scan was negative.

Prior to PET
CT scans would have been continued periodically until the tumors were large enough to be detected, or a diagnostic laparotomy would have been performed to determine the source of the rising CEA levels.

With PET
With a rise in CEA tumor marker levels or if the patient is symptomatic, a PET scan should be the first diagnostic study to be performed. If the PET scan is positive, the same scan also will show the extent of the recurrent disease, indicating whether surgical, radiation or medical treatment would benefit the patient most.