USE OF THE CARBOHYDRATE ANTIGEN-CA-19-9, CANCEROUS EMBRYONAL ANTIGEN,ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PANCREATIC-CANCER

Enzyme immunoassay was used to study blood levels of CA-19-9, cancerou s embryonal antigen, and alpha-fetoprotein in blood donors (n=33), pat ients with chronic pancreatitis (n=35), those with pancreatic carcinom a with metastases (n=28), and without them (n=21). A differential diag nosis was found to be made between healthy individuals and patients wi th chronic pancreatitis and those with pancreatic carcinoma via determ ination of the above tumour markers. The presence of hepatic metastase s of pancreatic carcinoma may be suspected if the blood levels of the cancerous embryonal antigen and CA-19-9 are over 15 ng/ml and over 600 U/ml. The level of alpha-fetoprotein was higher only in 14.3 % of pan creatic carcinoma patients with hepatic metastases. A comprehensive ex amination of the levels of all three tumor markers allows one to diffe rentiate pancreatic carcinoma and chronic pancreatitis and to determin e whether a patient with pancreatic carcinoma is operable.