Are There Any Limitations to Using CEA as a Biomarker?
While CEA is a valuable tool, it has several limitations:
Lack of specificity: Elevated CEA levels are not exclusive to cancer and can occur in benign conditions. False positives/negatives: Non-cancerous conditions and individual variability can result in inaccurate readings. Limited utility in early detection: CEA is not effective for early-stage cancer detection due to its low sensitivity.
