Carcinoembryonic antigen is elevated in the serum of approximately 35% (35/98) of patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The incidence of elevated serum CEA is not related to stage of disease, histopathology, lymphangiogram and survival rate. Carcinoembryonic antigen levels return to normal after curative radiation therapy (25/32). Persistently high values after irradiation are indicative of residual disease (3/32). Reappearance of CEA, with a progressive rise evoke a recurrence, and may precede the clinical diagnosis.