The tumor marker tumor M2-PK: An application in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer

The present study is designed to evaluate the use of the tumor marker Tumor M2-PK in the discrimination between gastrointestinal (Gl) cancer patients and patients with non malignant gastrointestinal diseases. The concentratio n of Tumor M2-PK was analyzed in EDTA-plasma of 413 Gl cancer-patients and 141 patients with non-malignant diseases. The test resulted in a highly sig nificant discrimination (p < 0.001) of tumor patients and controls. The dia gnostic specificity was 89%. A diagnostic sensitivity between 48% and 73%, depending on the different tumor entities (colorectal cancer, gastric cance r, oesophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer), was observed. These sensitivi ties were generally higher when compared with those of the established tumo r markers CEA, CA 19-9 and CA 72-4, with the exception of CA 19-9 in pancre atic cancel: A combination of Tumor M2-PK with the appropriate first choice -marker (e.g. CEA + Tumor M2-PK for colorectal cancer) resulted in a remark able ina ease in the sensitivities.