title: Evaluation of CA19-9 serum levels for monitoring disease activity during chemotherapy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Between 1987 and 1990 21 patients with proven adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with chemotherapy in four different phase II studies. For 14 patients, serial measurements of CA19-9 serum levels and clinical evaluations of response by computed tomography scan and/or ultrasound were available. Clinical stable disease and progressive disease were accompanied by stable or exponentially rising serum levels of CA19-9. One patient with clinical partial remission showed a 90% decline of CA19-9. However, a 75% decline of CA19-9 was also observed in a patient with rapidly progressive disease. These data seem to indicate that the CA19-9 serum level may be used as an easy and sensitive tool to evaluate progressive disease during chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bac
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Gaast
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Splinter
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor