Databases were queried for patients who underwent curative resection for stage I to III colon adenocarcinoma from January 2007 through December 2014. Those with history of treatment for malignancy within the last 5 years, preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy, noncurative palliative resection, or lack of preoperative CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) data were excluded. The remaining patients were grouped into 3 cohorts: those with normal preoperative CEA, those with elevated preoperative CEA but normal postoperative CEA, and those whose preoperative and postoperative CEA levels were both elevated.