Results of a nationwide proficiency test for carcinoembryonic antigen

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A proficiency testing survey for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was conducted by the Center for Disease Control [Atlanta, Georgia, USA]. The results from 125 laboratories throughout the USA indicate that many laboratories perform satisfactorily, but some laboratories need substantial improvement. Failure to follow manufacturer''s recommendations and failure to heed the indications of out of control, control results, were 2 reasons for poor performance. Results reported for samples with CEA levels of .gtoreq. 20 ng/ml showed that the method produced significantly higher values than the indirect method on either whole or diluted [human] plasma. Almost 1/4 of the results reported in this survey were placed in the wrong nominal group. The results were log normally distributed and, consequently, statistical methods that are appropriate for this distribution should be used for the analysis of CEA results. Most of the variation observed was the result of poor comparability between laboratories rather than lack of precision within the laboratory. This indicates that better performance could be achieved by better standardization and closer adherence to established procedures. [Detection and quantitation of CEA in plasma and serum may be of use in diagnosis and management of some types of cancer.].