Objective:
This study aims to investigate the potential enhancement of diagnostic accuracy in gastric cancer through the combined detection of serum tumor markers (CST4, CEA, CA72-4, CA125, CA19-9). Additionally, we examine CST4 levels in both preoperative and postoperative gastric cancer patients to evaluate the correlation between CST4 levels and tumor burden.
Results:
In gastric cancer, the positive rates of CST4, CEA, CA72-4, CA125, and CA19-9 were notably higher (20.34%, 20.76%, 14.41%, 8.9%, 11.44%, respectively) compared to those in the control group (4.35%, 4.35%, 0%, 1.45%, 7.25%, respectively). The sensitivity of these markers were as follows: CST4 (0.20), CEA (0.21), CA72-4 (0.25), CA125 (0.09), and CA19-9 (0.11). Their respective specificities were 0.96, 0.96, 1.0, 0.99, and 0.93. When these five tumor markers were combined, the AUC area increased to 0.74, indicating that the combined use of these markers significantly improved diagnostic efficacy compared to individual tests. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in CST4 levels pre- and post-operation in gastric cancer patients with varying stages, tumor sizes, and lymph node metastases. Notably, a significant difference in CST4 levels was found before and after surgery in patients with poorly differentiated gastric cancer (P < 0.001), but no such difference was observed in well-differentiated gastric cancer (P = 0.438).
Conclusion:
CST4, CEA, CA72-4, CA125, and CA19-9 all hold significant value in the diagnosis of gastric cancer. Specifically, serum CST4 may serve as a suitable tumor marker for gastric cancer screening. The combined use of CST4, CEA, CA72-4, CA125, and CA19-9 can significantly enhance the diagnostic accuracy for gastric cancer. Importantly, postoperative CST4 levels in gastric cancer patients were significantly lower than preoperative levels, with the exception of patients with well-differentiated tumors.