title: Preoperative serum tumor marker levels in gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumor markers have shown little benefit as a method for screening. However, they can be used clinically for the monitoring of tumor recurrence and used as prognostic factors because higher levels have been observed in advanced disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the preoperative tumor marker levels and different clinical aspects of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and six consecutive patients with confirmed diagnosis of gastric cancer and 106 subjects (age and sex matched) with no malignancy as control group were included prospectively in this study in 3 years. The relationships between tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9 and stage of disease, tumor differentiation, presence of ringlet cell type, presence of peritoneal carcinomatozis were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum CEA and CA 125 levels were found to be significantly elevated in gastric cancer patients than in controls. The serum level of CEA had showed a significant elevation with the presence of distant metastasis. The CA 19-9 and CA 125 levels had showed significant elevations with the presence of peritoneal carcinomatozis. Conclusions : This study showed that there is a limited clinical benefit of preoperative tumor marker measurements in gastric cancer such as estimation of peritoneal dissemination.
authors.affiliation: Erdal Polat, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Ugur Duman, MD, Bursa Sevket Yilmaz Training and Research Hospital, Department of General Surgery, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.affiliation: Mustafa Duman, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.affiliation: Kivanc Derya Peker, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kivanc
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derya Peker
authors.affiliation: Cebrail Akyuz, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cebrail
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akyuz
authors.affiliation: Necdet Fatih Yasar, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necdet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fatih Yasar
authors.affiliation: Orhan Uzun, MD, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.affiliation: Sabiye Akbulut, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sabiye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akbulut
authors.affiliation: Erdal Birol Bostanci, MD, Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Turkiye High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Birol Bostanci
authors.affiliation: Sinan Yol, MD, Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kosuyolu High Specialty Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yol
keywords: Gastric cancer; Peritoneal carcinomatozis; Serum tumor markers