carcinoembryonic antigen

car·ci·no·em·bry·on·ic antigen

noun \ˌkärs-^ən-ō-ˌem-brē-ˌän-ik-\

Definition of CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN

: a glycoprotein present in fetal gut tissues during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and in peripheral blood of patients with some forms of cancer (as of the digestive system or the breast)—abbreviation CEA