CEACAM5 and colorectal carcinoma: Further, the level of CXCL3 in plasma of CRC patients was positively related to CEA (r = 0.50), with the plasma expression of CXCL3 in CRC related to tumor size, staging, tumor stage, differentiation, and lymph node metastasis, but not to sex, age, tumor site, or distant metastasis.