The Diagnostic Value Of Serum Levels Of CA242,CA19-9 And CA125 In Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Objective To investigate the diagnostic Value of serum levels of CA242 CA19-9 and CA125 in Pancreatic cancerMethods In our hospital, from January 2000 to March 2003, total plasma levels of CA242 were measured in IRMA methods and CA19-9 CA125 were measured in CLIA methods in blood samples from 36 healthy donors and 116 patients with PC benign pancreatic lesions benign hepatobiliary diseases and other malignancies, their diagnostic value were assessed .Results There were no significant differences in serum CA242 and CA19-9 levels between healthy donors and all other patients whereas patients with PC had significantly elevated CA242 and CA19-9 serum levels. The CA125 serum levels, which in patients with PC were significantly elevated, also, were both elevated in patients with benign pancreatic lesions and with other malignant diseases, and there were no differences in CA125 serum levels between these groups. The serum levels of CA242 CA19-9 and CA125 in non-resectable patients with PC were significantly higher than that in patients with resectable PC(P<0.05). With there commended cutoffs(22u/ml for CA242, 37u/ml for CA19-9 and 35u/ml for CA125), we obtained a sensitivity of 76.190% for CA242 85.714%for CA19-9 and of 66.667% for CA125; The specificity was 87.838% 72.973% and 74.735% for CA242 CA19-9 and CA125 respectively . Combining CA242 and CA19-9 measurements increased the sensitivity and specificity obtained from CA242 or CA19-9 alone.Conclusions sensitivity and specificity were both sufficiently high to consider CA242 or CA19-9 but CA125 as a markers for the early identification of PC patients and for the assessment of resectablity of tumour and prognosis of PC. CA242 has a higher specificity than CA19-9. Combiming CA242 and CA19-9 measurements is a excellent combined fashion and can greatly enhance the diagnosis of patients with PC .