title: CA 19-9 in the therapy monitoring and follow-up of locally advanced cancer of the exocrine pancreas treated with radiochemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the value of CA 19-9 in therapy monitoring and follow-up of locally advanced pancreatic cancer treated by radiochemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five patients with locally advanced irresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy, with 44.8 Gy and 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid, January 1994 between and June 2001. CA 19-9 was measured before therapy, each week under therapy and every 4 weeks in the follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median CA 19-9 before treatment was 420 U/ml. Patients with a level below the median had significantly better prognosis and a better treatment response than those above the median. In the follow-up CA 19-9 had a sensitivity of 100% in detection of recurrent disease with a specificity of 88.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CA 19-9 has a high prognostic value and may serve as an in vivo marker for treatment sensitivity. For detection of recurrent disease it shows a high sensitivity and specificity.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Strahlentherapie-Radioonkologie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany. omicke@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Micke
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurowski
authors.forename: Eckehard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horst
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Willich
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil