PANCREATIC-JUICE 90K AND SERUM CA-19-9 COMBINED DETERMINATION CAN DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN PANCREATIC-CANCER AND CHRONIC-PANCREATITIS

Objectives: Differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer versus chronic pancreatitis may be difficult. The aim of this study is to determine whether a group of tumor-associated antigens could differentiate betwe en the two pathologies. Methods: CA 19-9, TAG-72, CAR-3, and a newly d iscovered antigen termed ''90K' were determined in the serum and in th e pancreatic juice of 19 patients with pancreatic cancer, 20 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and seven controls with lithiasis of extrap ancreatic bile ducts. Results: The serum antigen levels of all three m arkers except 90K were significantly higher in pancreatic cancer than in chronic pancreatitis. High correlations were found between serum CA 19-9 and both TAG-72 and CAR-3. 90K did not correlate with other mark ers. In pancreatic juice, only 90K values were significantly higher in chronic pancreatitis than in pancreatic cancer, and only 90K and CA 1 9-9 were significantly correlated. At the stepwise discriminant analys is, serum CA 19-9 and pancreatic juice 90K had independent diagnostic roles. Used in combination, they correctly identified 84.2 % of pancre atic cancer and 90 % of chronic pancreatitis. Conclusions: These data suggest that pancreatic juice 90K and serum CA 19-9 can discriminate b etween chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. The data further su pport the complementary use of tumor-associated antigens along with ot her diagnostic tools.