CA 19-9 and pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Abstract

The diagnostic place value of CA 19-9, a tumor-associated antigen, was tested in 611 patients. This group of patients included 273 patients who suffered from a malignant disease (48 patients with pancreatic carcinomas and 225 patients with extrapancreatic malignant growths) and 338 patients with benign diseases (66 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 36 patients with acute pancreatitis, and 236 patients with general surgical diseases). In 93% of the patients with pancreatic carcinoma (media value, 528 U/ml), in 37% and 19% of the patients with carcinoma of the stomach and colorectal carcinomas (median value 8 U/ml), respectively, the CA 19-9 value was estimated as being above the normal limits of 6 to 37 U/ml. A sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 85%, as well as a total accuracy of 82%, were established in pancreatic carcinoma during preoperative observation. The preoperatively raised CA 19-9 concentration in patients with pancreatic carcinomas dropped after curative resection of the carcinoma to within normal limits. However, a serum concentration of less than 37 U/ml was not recorded in any CA 19-9 estimation after a palliative surgical intervention, or in any case of inoperable carcinomas.

CA 19-9 Levels Predict Results of Staging Laparoscopy in Pancreatic Cancer

“…9,10 Although the tumor-associated antigen CA 19-9 was initially described as a marker for colorectal cancer, 11 it later became vident that its most important clinical applications are related to pancreatic cancer. 12, 13 Since then, CA 19-9 is recognized as the first tumor marker that successfully aids in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer with reported sensitivity of 68%-94% and specificity of 76%-100%. 14 The CA 19-9 monoclonal antibody has as its epitope the blood group carbohydrate antigen sialyl Lewis[a].…”

Serum Levels of Heavy Metals in Cholangiocarcinoma Patients from the Nile Delta Region of Egypt: A Single Centre Study

“…Multiple studies have shown that while elevations in serum CA 19-9 is useful in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the upper gastrointestinal tract and in monitoring of colonic carcinoma, its greatest sensitivity is in the detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (24).…”

A randomized controlled trial of adjuvant immunotherapy (murine monoclonal antibody 494/32) in resectable pancreatic cancer

“…If elevated, this tumor marker has proved to be a highly sensitive indication of tumor cells remaining after pancreatic resection. 44,45 There are several reasons that may explain the negative outcome of this trial. It could be that the dosage used is too low to adequately saturate the target e p i t~p e s .~~ In other clinical trials making claims about the effects of murine MoAb in gastrointestinal tumors, the dosages used were in part higher than the total dose of 370 mg used in this trial.…”