Test Code LAB4050 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN (CEA)
Specimen Type
Preferred Specimen: Lithium Heparin Tube (Mint Green Top, Dark Green Top)
Alternative Specimen: Serum (SST, Gold, Corvac, Tiger, Red Top Tube)
Important: Lithium Heparin results are 7-8% higher than serum results. Use the same specimen type for serial measurements.
Specimen Volume
1 mL
Minimum Volume
0.5 mL
Turnaround Time
STAT: 1 hour
Routine : 4 hours
Test Schedule
Daily
Sample Stability
Room Temp: N/A
Refrigerated: 7 days
Frozen: 6 months
Method
Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA)
Reference Ranges
<5.00 ng/mL
Reporting Limit
Reporting Limits: 1.73 – 15,000.0 ng/mL
Synonyms
CEA; CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN
CPT Codes
82378
Specimen Processing
Serum samples should be allowed to clot completely. Separate serum from cells ASAP and transport refrigerated.
Rejection Criteria
Grossly hemolyzed specimens.
LOINC Code
83085-1
IMO Code
IMO-PROC-30136052