The clinical value of serum CEA, CA19-9, and CA242 in the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Serum tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and CA242 were investigated to evaluate the values of single and combined test in the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.


METHODS
Pre-operative serum CEA, CA19-9 and CA242 were measured in 105 pancreatic cancers, 70 non-pancreatic malignancies and 30 benign pancreatic diseases.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of CA19-9 alone was the highest in pancreatic cancer patients (80%), but the specificity was significantly lower than that of CEA and CA242 (P<0.01). The combination of CEA and CA242 could increase the specificity to 92%. In serum CA242 positive patients, the survival time was remarkably shorter than that of patients with negative result (P<0.01). The survival time in patients with more than two markers positive expression of CEA, CA19-9 and CA242 was obviously shorter than that of only one or no marker positive expression (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnostic rate of CA19-9 in pancreatic cancer is better than that of CEA and CA242. Combined detection of CEA and CA242 can improve the diagnostic specificity obviously. High levels of serum markers are associated with advanced stage of the disease. Patients with two or three markers positive expression of CEA, CA19-9, and CA242 simultaneously had a shorter survival time.
Ni
X G
XG
Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Bai
X F
XF
Mao
Y L
YL
Shao
Y F
YF
Wu
J X
JX
Shan
Y
Y
Wang
C F
CF
Wang
J
J
Tian
Y T
YT
Liu
Q
Q
Xu
D K
DK
Zhao
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018273:Carcinoma, Islet Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C074601:CA 242 antigen; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D001663:Bilirubin