Original Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1997. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 15, 1997; 3(4): 253-254
Published online Dec 15, 1997. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v3.i4.253
Clinical significance of CA19-9 in diagnosis of digestive tract tumors
Ji-Zong Zhao, Bo-Heng Wu
Ji-Zong Zhao, Bo-Heng Wu, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Ji-Zong Zhao, male, born on January 22, 1945 in Guangzhou, graduated from the Department of Laboratory Medical Sciences at Guangzhou Medical Collage, currently Laboratorian in Charge, engaged in laboratory diagnostic study of clinical chemistry and immunology, and having 15 papers published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Ji-Zong Zhao, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Telephone: +86-20-87755766
Received: September 6, 1996
Revised: October 5, 1996
Accepted: October 28, 1997
Published online: December 15, 1997
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the clinical value of CA19-9 in diagnosing and differentiating gastrointestinal tumors and in monitoring patients treated surgically.

METHODS: Patients with gastric cancer (n = 70), colorectal cancer (n = 90), pancreatic cancer (n = 7), esophageal cancer (n = 10) and benign disorders (n = 30), and normal adults (n = 111; used as healthy controls), were studied. Fasting blood samples were obtained from each study participant. The serum CA19-9 concentration was measured with radioimmunoassay.

RESULTS: The mean CA19-9 level was significantly higher in patients with gastric cancer (170.69 ± 91.45 kU/L) and patients with colorectal cancer (87.21 ± 39.55 kU/L) than in the healthy controls (11.254 ± 6.00 kU/L). Compared with the healthy controls, the CA19-9 level was also much higher in patients with pancreatic cancer (1266.58 ± 521.31 kU/L) (P < 0.01). However, the CA19-9 concentrations in patients with non-recurrent gastric cancer (12.63 ± 3.62 kU/L), colorectal cancer (14.14 ± 3.26 kU/L) and benign disorders (14.23 ± 2.60 kU/L) were statistically similar to those in the healthy controls (P > 0.05). The demarcation value of CA19-9 between negative and positive was < 31.0 kU/L. The sensitivity of CA19-9 for gastric, colorectal, pancreatic and esophageal cancers and for gastrointestinal benign disorders was 47.3%, 50.0%, 83.3%, 20.0% and 0%, respectively. The specificity of CA19-9 for digestive system malignant diseases was 100% for all.

Keywords: Digestive system neoplasms; CA19-9; Tumor-related antigen; Stomach neoplasms; Colorectal neoplasms; Pancreatic neoplasms; Esophageal neoplasms