Abstract

Background

bronchogenic cancer one of the most common cancer in human & represent a diagnostic challenge as most of the available tests are either useful in the late stages or little bit invasive ,so the need for diagnostic test in the relatively early time & non-invasive is mandatory

Aim of the study
To assess the significance of bronchial CEA as a tumour marker for aiding the diagnosis of NSCLC & to see is there any difference between the serum & bronchial CEA &between tumour & non-tumour sides.
Patients & methods: 30 patients were involved in the study ,divided into 3 groups according to their diagnosis as cancer ,airway disease & Tuberculosis groups, assessment of their socio-demographic features ,clinical features CXR,CT scan & fibro-optic bronchoscopy were done & the CEA level were testes in the samples taken from serum, tumour & non-tumour sides

Result:
There was a statistically significant difference in the level of CEA in the bronchial wash of cancer patients group comparing to the serum of the same group & to the bronchial wash level in the other groups in favor of the cancer group patients, but no difference between the tumour & non tumour sides in the cancer group patients.

Conclusion
Bronchial wash CEA assay can be helpful in the diagnosis of NSCLC & can be take into consideration in the future work up