Is there a SCREEN of DIAGNOSITIC MARKER for PANCREATIC CANCE | Figure 1
Is there a SCREEN of DIAGNOSITIC MARKER for PANCREATIC CANCER?
A 66 year old male presents with non-specific abdominal pain over the last week. He mentions that he has been gradually losing weight over the past 2–3 months. Abdominal imaging reveals a 3 cm pancreatic mass encasing blood vessels. Biopsy reveals an invasive adenocarcinoma. Further staging tests reveal several small nodular opacities in the right lung. With treatment, the median survival for his stage is estimated at around 4-6 months.
CA 19-9 is the best known blood marker for pancreatic cancer. About 10% of people lack the CA 19-9 antigen (aka Lewis antigen), and do not express this protein at all. With the development of genetic tools, researchers have attempted to look at both well known (k-ras, p16 & p53), plus a wide range of DNA mutations and protein patterns that may translate into diagnostic markers or screening tests for pancreatic cancer patients.
Do you use CA 19-9 as a guide to follow tumors and treatment response in a given individual?