Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34084278›Full record

ArticleOncotarget2021

CEA as a blood-based biomarker in anal cancer.

Robert Hester, Shailesh Advani, Asif Rashid, Emma Holliday, Craig Messick, Prajnan Das, Yi-Qian N You, Cullen Taniguchi, Eugene J Koay, Brian Bednarski and 9 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncotarget, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Anal neoplasm in colonoscopy: What endoscopists need to know.World journal of gastrointestinal endoscopy · 2025
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Robert HesterDivision of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Shailesh AdvaniDivision of Oncology, Terasaki Foundation of Biomedical Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Asif RashidDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Emma HollidayDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Craig MessickDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Prajnan DasDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Yi-Qian N YouDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Cullen TaniguchiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Eugene J KoayDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Brian BednarskiDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Miguel Rodriguez-BigasDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
John SkibberDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Robert WolffDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
George J ChangDepartment of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Bruce D MinskyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Wai Chin FooDepartment of Pathology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Nicole RothschildDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Van K MorrisDepartment of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Cathy EngDepartment of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · USTerasaki Foundation · USVanderbilt University · US

Funding

Paul Calabresi Clinical Oncology AwardK12CA088084 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI David S. Hong, Scott Kopetz · 2000 to 2026
$14.0M
NCI NIH HHS K12 CA088084
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe clinical utility of a blood-based biomarker in squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) is unknown. We analyzed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a commonly employed assay for patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma, as a serum biomarker for patients with biopsy-proven SCCA. MATERIALS AND

methodsMedical records from 219 patients with biopsy-proven SCCA at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were reviewed under an IRB-approved protocol from 2013 to 2020 to assess for correlations between CEA levels and corresponding clinical and pathologic characteristics.

resultsThe mean CEA among subgroups by clinical status at the time of presentation to our institution was highest among those patients with metastatic SCCA to visceral organs (M-V, 20.7 ng/mL), however this finding was not statistically significant by ANOVA (

conclusionsDespite interesting patterns of abnormally high CEA in SCCA patients with advanced disease, and correlation of increased CEA with disease progression (and conversely decreased CEA with disease response), CEA is not associated with survival outcomes in SCCA, and is not a clinically relevant biomarker in this disease.

Indexed as

anal cancerbiomarkerscarcinoembryonic antigenHPVsquamous cell carcinoma of anal canal

Identifiers

PMID34084278
PMCPMC8169063
OpenAlexW3163758911

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.