Serum CA 242: The Search for a Valid Marker of Pancreatic Cancer
-
Maurizio Ventrucci
Abstract
Many efforts have been made to find valuable serum tumour markers which help the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In the present study we investigated the diagnostic value of CA 242 in comparison with two other routinely used tumour markers (CA 19–9 and CA 50). Two-hundred and seventy six subjects were enrolled in this study: 46 patients with pancreatic cancer preoperatively, 53 with chronic pancreatitis, 28 with acute pancreatitis, 49 with other malignancies, 50 with miscellaneous non-neoplastic digestive diseases, and 50 healthy subjects. CA 242 was determined in serum by means of a two-step fluoroimmunometric assay. Sensitivities of CA 242, CA 19–9 and CA 50 for pancreatic cancer when all patients were considered were 41.3%, 54.3% and 47.8%, respectively (95% specificity level). No significant improvement was achieved by combination of CA 242 with CA 19–9 and/or CA 50. Cholestasis affected serum levels of CA 242 in patients without pancreatic cancer, but not in those with this tumour. The metastatic stage of pancreatic cancer appeared to influence the levels of CA 242. In conclusion, CA 242 serum assay does not seem to improve diagnostic accuracy for pancreatic cancer compared to CA 19–9 and CA 50.
Copyright © 1998 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
Articles in the same Issue
- Teaching and Training Laboratory Professionals for the 21st Century
- Comparison of Two Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods for Detection of AML1/ETO Rearrangement in the M2 Subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
- The Effect of Ascorbic Acid Ingestion on the Biochemical and Physicochemical Risk Factors Associated with Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone Formation
- Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defenses in Renal Patients Receiving Regular Haemodialysis
- Development of an HPLC Assay to Study the Effect of Endogenous and Exogenous Substances on Heat-Induced Aggregation of Human Serum Albumin
- Assessment of Serum Total and Bone Alkaline Phosphatase Measurement in Clinical Practice
- The Predictive Value of Several Markers in the Progression to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- The Increase of Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations with Age Is Partly due to the Deterioration of Renal Function as Determined by Plasma Cystatin C
- Serum CA 242: The Search for a Valid Marker of Pancreatic Cancer
- Approved Recommendation on IFCC Methods for the Measurement of Catalytic Concentration of Enzymes Part 9. IFCC Method for α-Amylase (1,4-α-D-Glucan 4-Glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1)
- Erratum
Articles in the same Issue
- Teaching and Training Laboratory Professionals for the 21st Century
- Comparison of Two Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods for Detection of AML1/ETO Rearrangement in the M2 Subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
- The Effect of Ascorbic Acid Ingestion on the Biochemical and Physicochemical Risk Factors Associated with Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone Formation
- Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defenses in Renal Patients Receiving Regular Haemodialysis
- Development of an HPLC Assay to Study the Effect of Endogenous and Exogenous Substances on Heat-Induced Aggregation of Human Serum Albumin
- Assessment of Serum Total and Bone Alkaline Phosphatase Measurement in Clinical Practice
- The Predictive Value of Several Markers in the Progression to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- The Increase of Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations with Age Is Partly due to the Deterioration of Renal Function as Determined by Plasma Cystatin C
- Serum CA 242: The Search for a Valid Marker of Pancreatic Cancer
- Approved Recommendation on IFCC Methods for the Measurement of Catalytic Concentration of Enzymes Part 9. IFCC Method for α-Amylase (1,4-α-D-Glucan 4-Glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1)
- Erratum
