Combining prognostic value of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and tumor size reduction ratio in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a common cancer with increasing morbidity and mortality due to changes of social environment.

AIM

To evaluate the significance of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and tumor size changes pre- and post-neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted at the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital. This study specifically assessed CA19-9 levels and tumor size before and after NAT.

RESULTS

A total of 156 patients who completed NAT and subsequently underwent tumor resection were included in this study. The average age was 65.4 ± 10.6 years and 72 (46.2%) patients were female. Before survival analysis, we defined the post-NAT serum CA19-9 level/pre-NAT serum CA19-9 level as the CA19-9 ratio (CR). The patients were divided into three groups: CR < 0.5, CR > 0.5 and < 1 and CR > 1. With regard to tumor size measured by both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, we defined the post-NAT tumor size/pre-NAT tumor size as the tumor size ratio (TR). The patients were then divided into three groups: TR < 0.5, TR > 0.5 and < 1 and TR > 1. Based on these groups divided according to CR and TR, we performed both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses. Log-rank tests showed that both OS and DFS were significantly different among the groups according to CR and TR (P < 0.05). CR and TR after NAT were associated with increased odds of achieving a complete or near-complete pathologic response. Moreover, CR (hazard ratio: 1.721, 95%CI: 1.373-3.762; P = 0.006), and TR (hazard ratio: 1.435, 95%CI: 1.275-4.363; P = 0.014) were identified as independent factors associated with OS.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that post-NAT serum CA19-9 level/pre-NAT serum CA19-9 level and post-NAT tumor size/pre-NAT tumor size were independent factors associated with OS in patients with PDAC who received NAT and subsequent surgical resection.

Comparison of Urinary Biomarkers in Diagnosis of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction and Differentiation from Nonobstructive Dilatation

Background and Aims

Differentiation of nonobstructive dilatation (NOD) from ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is a challenge in children with antenatally detected hydronephrosis. The aim of this study is to compare the utility of urinary biomarkers: carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule (KIM) in diagnosing UPJO.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted after obtaining ethical clearance between 2021 and 2022. Group 1 - control group (n = 30): children with normal antenatal ultrasound with no urinary symptoms. Group 2 - study group (n = 48): children with unilateral hydronephrosis: Group 2a - NOD (n = 24): children stable on ultrasound and diuretic renogram and Group 2b - UPJO (n = 24): children who worsened to Grade 4 hydronephrosis on ultrasound/worsening of differential renal function (10% drop) on renogram who underwent pyeloplasty. Urinary biomarkers NGAL, KIM-1, and CA 19-9 were measured using the enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay method.

Results

The urine CA 19-9 level was 128.05 ± 4.08 U/mL in the UPJO group, and this was significantly higher (P = 0.001) than NOD, 70.29 ± 4.41, and controls, 1.91 ± 1.57. The urine NGAL level was 21.41 ± 4.44 pg/mL in UPJO, and this was significantly higher than controls, 2.669 ± 0.513, but not NOD, 24.55 ± 2.67. The urine KIM level was 817 ± 15.84 pg/mL in the UPJO group, and this was significantly higher than controls, 285 ± 8.10, but not NOD, 768.23 ± 15.12. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of CA 19-9 revealed a urine biomarker cutoff of 95 U/mL for diagnosing UPJO (sensitivity 95%; specificity 96%; and area under the curve 0.99).

Conclusions

CA 19-9 is a superior marker compared to NGAL and KIM in differentiating UPJO from NOD. Further studies with larger numbers are warranted.

Removal of intrahepatic bile duct stone could reduce the risk of cholangiocarcinoma: A single-center retrospective study in South Korea

BACKGROUND

Intrahepatic duct (IHD) stones are among the most important risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma (CCC). Approximately 10% of patients with IHD stones develop CCC; however, there are limited studies regarding the effect of IHD stone removal on CCC development.

AIM

To investigate the association between IHD stone removal and CCC development.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 397 patients with IHD stones at a tertiary referral center between January 2011 and December 2020.

RESULTS

CCC occurred in 36 of the 397 enrolled patients. In univariate analysis, chronic hepatitis B infection (11.1% vs 3.0%, P = 0.03), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9, 176.00 vs 11.96 II/mL, P = 0.010), stone located in left or both lobes (86.1% vs 70.1%, P = 0.042), focal atrophy (52.8% vs 26.9%, P = 0.001), duct stricture (47.2% vs 24.9%, P = 0.004), and removal status of IHD stone (33.3% vs 63.2%, P < 0.001) were significantly different between IHD stone patients with and without CCC. In the multivariate analysis, CA19-9 > upper normal limit, carcinoembryonic antigen > upper normal limit, stones located in the left or both lobes, focal atrophy, and complete removal of IHD stones without recurrence were independent factors influencing CCC development. However, the type of removal method was not associated with CCC risk.

CONCLUSION

Complete removal of IHD stones without recurrence could reduce CCC risk.

Prognostic impact of pre- and postoperative tumor markers in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

PURPOSE

The present study assessed the impact of pre- and postoperative tumor markers on the survival of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODS

Medical records of 73 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were reviewed retrospectively. The pre- and postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels were assessed. Patient characteristics, clinicopathological factors, and prognostic factors were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median recurrence-free survival and overall survival were 30.0 and 90.9 months, respectively. A multivariate survival analysis revealed that elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (p = 0.023) was the only independent poor prognostic factor. The median overall survival of patients with normal and elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels was 101.4 and 15.7 months (p < 0.001), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression identified elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 as an independent preoperative risk factor for elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9. The optimal cutoff value of preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 for predicting elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 was 40 U/mL, with a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 87%, respectively (area under curve = 0.915).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 was an independent poor prognostic factor. Preoperative predictors, such as elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9, may indicate the need for neoadjuvant therapies to improve the survival.

The prognosis-based classification model in resectable pancreatic cancer

AIM

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma treatment is mainly based on the anatomical resectability classification. However, prognosis-based classification may be more reasonable. In this study, we stratified resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma according to preoperative factors and reconsidered treatment strategies.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 131 patients who underwent upfront surgery for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2019. Recurrence within 1 year after surgery was defined as early recurrence, and the risk factors for early recurrence were identified using preoperative factors. Subsequently, we calculated the scores and stratified the participant groups.

RESULTS

Fifty-five (42 %) patients who relapsed within 1 year showed significantly poorer survival than those without recurrence (median overall survival, 14.0 vs. 80.6 months; p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that a tumor diameter of ≥24 mm (p < 0.01) and preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level of ≥380 U/mL (p = 0.04) were the independent risk factors for early recurrence. Early recurrence score was created using these factors, stratifying the participant group into three groups of 0-2 points, and the prognosis was significantly different (median overall survival, 49.3 vs. 31.2 vs. 16.0 months; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

We stratified the upfront surgical cases of resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The group with a score of 0 had a good prognosis, and upfront surgery was possibly not futile on patients in poor general condition. The group with a score of 2 had a poor prognosis and may require stronger preoperative treatment.

Elevated CA 19-9 is associated with worse survival in patients with resected ampullary adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The prognostic utility of Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in ampullary adenocarcinoma is unclear. We sought to evaluate the association between initial tumor marker levels and survival in patients with resected ampullary adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

This was a single-institution, retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma from 1999 to 2021. CA 19-9 was assessed after biliary decompression. Contal and O'Quigley method determined optimal biomarker cutoff levels which were correlated with overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox Proportional Hazards Regression.

RESULTS

A total of 180 patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy. Patients with CA 19-9 >100 U/mL had a shorter median OS (28 vs. 132 months, p < 0.001) compared to patients with CA 19-9 ≤ 100 U/mL at diagnosis. Survival was similar between pancreaticobiliary and intestinal tumor subtypes when CA 19-9 was >100 U/mL (OS:25 vs. 33 months, p = 0.415). By Cox regression analysis, CA 19-9 >100 U/mL was independently associated with worse OS (HR 2.8, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CA 19-9 >100 U/mL was associated with shorter OS in patients with resected ampullary adenocarcinoma. CA 19-9 may be useful when counseling patients about prognosis or when considering the role of perioperative systemic therapy.

Prognostic significance of post-preoperative tumor markers increments in patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer

PURPOSE

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) are the most common tumor markers detected before and after gastric cancer (GC) surgery. However, the impact of post-preoperative CEA/CA19-9 increments on prognosis of GC remains unclear. In addition, there is no research incorporating post-preoperative CEA/CA19-9 increments into the prognostic model.

METHODS

Patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for GC at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and Anhui Provincial Hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 were enrolled and divided into the discovery and validation cohort. Prognostic value of post-preoperative CEA/CA19-9 increments and preoperative CEA/CA199 levels were assessed by Kaplan-Meier log-rank analysis and compared by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (t-ROC) curves. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was applied to establish the nomogram. The performance of the prognostic model was validated by the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, and ROC curve analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 562 GC patients were included in this study. Overall survival (OS) rates decreased with an increasing number of incremental tumor markers after surgery. The t-ROC curves implied that the prognostic ability of the number of incremental post-preoperative tumor markers was superior to that of the number of positive preoperative tumor markers. Cox regression analysis suggested that the number of incremental post-preoperative tumor markers was an independent prognostic factor. The nomogram incorporated with the post-preoperative CEA/CA19-9 increments showed reliable accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

Incremental post-preoperative CEA/CA19-9 were indicator of poor prognosis of GC. The prognostic value of post-preoperative CEA/CA19-9 increments exceed that of preoperative CEA/CA19-9 levels.

A novel combined carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio score can predict early recurrence of resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) often recurs early after radical resection, which causes a poor prognosis. This study aimed to establish a scoring model to assess the optimal treatment in patients who underwent surgery for PDAC.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective study included 127 patients who underwent radical resection for PDAC between 2005 and 2021. Early recurrence (ER) was defined as recurrence within 12 months after resection. The predictive effect for ER was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of preoperative parameters.

RESULTS

ER occurred in 43 (33.9%) patients. The ER group had a significantly worse prognosis than the non-ER group (p < 0.0001). The carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were the strongest diagnostic factors (areas under the ROC curves: 0.74 and 0.68, respectively). The ER prediction score was calculated using optimal cutoff values. A higher CA19-9-LMR score was associated with a worse prognosis in terms of the overall and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.0017 and p < 0.0001, respectively). A multivariate analysis identified a high CA19-9-LMR score as an independent predictor of ER.

CONCLUSIONS

The CA19-9-LMR scoring model can predict ER after surgery and is applicable for risk stratification in the assessment of patients with resectable PDAC.

Prognostic factor in patient with recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

To elucidate prognostic factors for post-recurrence survival in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

Patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for PDAC between January 2014 and May 2020 were identified. Among them, patients who had postoperative recurrences and received chemotherapy were retrospectively investigated. Independent prognostic factors for survival after recurrence were investigated using multivariate analyses. Eligible patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of the identified prognostic factors, and survival times after recurrence were compared.

RESULTS

Eighty-four patients with recurrent PDAC were included. Multivariate analysis showed that red blood cell (RBC) transfusion (HR, 2.80; p = 0.0051), low albumin level (HR, 1.84; p = 0.0402), and high carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level at recurrence (HR, 2.11; p = 0.0258) were significant predictors of shorter survival after recurrence. The median survival times after recurrence in the transfusion and non-transfusion groups were 5.5 vs. 18.1 months (p < 0.0001), respectively; those in the low and normal albumin groups were 10.1 vs. 18.7 months (p = 0.0049), and those in the high and normal CA19-9 groups were 11.5 vs. 22.6 months (p = 0.0023), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

RBC transfusion, low albumin, and high CA19-9 levels at recurrence negatively affected survival after recurrence in patients with PDAC.

A preoperative scoring system to predict lymph node metastasis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The abnormality of imaging finding of lymph node (LN) has demonstrated unsatisfactory diagnostic accuracy for pathologic lymph node metastasis (LNM). We aimed to develop and validate a simple scoring system predicting LNM in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) prior to surgery based on MRI and clinical findings.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for treatment-naïve iCCA from six institutions between January 2009 and December 2015. Patients who underwent lymph node dissection (LND) were randomly assigned to the training and validation cohorts at a 2:1 ratio, an¹ìd pathologic LN status was evaluated. Patients who did not undergo LND were assigned to the test cohort, and clinical LN status was evaluated. Using MRI and clinical findings, a preoperative LNM score was developed in the training cohort and validated in the validation and test cohorts.

RESULTS

The training, validation, and test cohorts included 102, 53, and 118 patients, respectively. The preoperative LNM score consisted of serum carcinoembryonic antigen and two MRI findings (suspicious LN and bile duct invasion). The preoperative LNM score was associated with pathologic LNM in training (p < 0.001) and validation (p = 0.010) cohorts and clinical LNM in test cohort (p < 0.001). The preoperative LNM score outperformed MRI-suspicious LN alone in predicting pathologic LNM (area under the curve, 0.703 vs. 0.604, p = 0.004). The preoperative LNM score was also associated with overall survival in all cohorts (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our preoperative LNM score was significantly associated with pathologic or clinical LNM and outperformed MRI-suspicious LN alone.

Diagnostic role and prognostic value of tumor markers in high-grade gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

OBJECTIVES

High-grade gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors of two different types: well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors grade 3 (NETs G3) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). This study aimed to explore the value of eight common preoperative markers in differentiating NETs G3 from NECs and the prognosis prediction of high-grade GEP-NENs.

METHODS

Seventy-two patients diagnosed with high-grade GEP-NENs who underwent surgery at our institution were recruited for this study. Demographic and clinicopathological characteristics, preoperative serum tumor markers, and survival data were collected and analyzed. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to analyze survival rates, and a Cox regression model was used to perform multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was dramatically higher in NECs than in NETs G3 (P = 0.025). After follow-up, 57 of the 72 patients remained for survival analysis. Elevated serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), CEA, cancer antigen 125 and sialic acid (SA) levels indicated poorer survival of high-grade GEP-NEN patients. Only CA19-9 (HR: 6.901, 95% CI: 1.843 to 25.837, P = 0.004) was regarded as an independent risk factor for overall survival. Serum CA19-9 (HR: 4.689, 95% CI: 1.127 to 19.506, P = 0.034) was also regarded as an independent factor for overall survival in NECs.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum CEA levels can be used to distinguish NETs G3 from NECs. Preoperative CA19-9, CEA, cancer antigen 125 and SA levels have predictive value in the prognosis of high-grade GEP-NENs. Preoperative CA19-9, neuron-specific enolase, and SA levels can predict the prognosis of NECs.

Novel prognostic indicator combining inflammatory indicators and tumor markers for gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and we hope to identify an economical but practical prognostic indicator. It has been reported that inflammatory indicators and tumor markers are associated with GC progression and are widely used to predict prognosis. However, existing prognostic models do not comprehensively analyze these predictors.

METHODS

This study retrospectively reviewed 893 consecutive patients who underwent curative gastrectomy from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2015, in the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Prognostic factors predicting overall survival (OS) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Nomograms including independent prognostic factors were plotted for predicting survival.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 425 patients were enrolled in this study. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR, total neutrophil count/lymphocyte count × 100%) and CA19-9 were independent prognostic factors for OS (p=0.001, p=0.016). The NLR-CA19-9 score (NCS) is constructed as the combination of the NLR and CA19-9. We defined NLR<2.46 and CA19-9≤37 U/ml as an NCS of 0, NLR≥2.46 or CA19-9>37 U/ml as an NCS 1, and NLR≥2.46 and CA19-9>37 U/ml as an NCS of 2. The results showed that higher NCS was significantly associated with worse clinicopathological characteristics and OS (p<0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that the NCS was an independent prognostic factor for OS (NCS1: p<0.001, HR=3.172, 95% CI=2.120-4.745; NCS2: p<0.001, HR=3.052, 95% CI=1.928-4.832). Compared with traditional predictive indices, the NCS had the highest AUC for a 12-month survival, a 36-month survival, a 60-month survival, and OS (AUC= 0.654, 0.730, 0.811, 0.803, respectively). The nomogram had a higher Harrell's C-index than the TNM stage alone (0.788 vs. 0.743).

CONCLUSIONS

The NCS provides more accurate predictions of the prognosis of GC patients, and its predictive value is significantly better than that of traditional inflammatory indicators or tumor markers. It is an effective complement to existing GC assessment systems.

Predictive value of a serum tumor biomarkers scoring system for clinical stage II/III rectal cancer with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Multiple classes of molecular biomarkers have been studied as potential predictors for rectal cancer (RC) response. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the most widely used blood-based marker of RC and has proven to be an effective predictive marker. Cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is another tumor biomarker used for RC diagnosis and postoperative monitoring, as well as monitoring of the therapeutic effect. Using a panel of tumor markers for RC outcome prediction is a practical approach.

AIM

To assess the predictive effect of pre-neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) CEA and CA19-9 levels on the prognosis of stage II/III RC patients.

METHODS

CEA and CA19-9 levels were evaluated 1 wk before NCRT. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cut-off point of CEA and CA19-9 levels for the prognosis were 3.55 and 19.01, respectively. The novel serum tumor biomarker (NSTB) scores were as follows: score 0: Pre-NCRT CEA < 3.55 and CA19-9 < 19.01; score 2: Pre-NCRT CEA > 3.55 and CA19-9 > 19.01; score 1: Other situations. Pathological information was recorded according to histopathological reports after the operation.

RESULTS

In the univariate analysis, pre-NCRT CEA < 3.55 [P = 0.025 for overall survival (OS), P = 0.019 for disease-free survival (DFS)], pre-NCRT CA19-9 < 19.01 (P = 0.014 for OS, P = 0.009 for DFS), a lower NSTB score (0-1 vs 2, P = 0.009 for OS, P = 0.005 for DFS) could predict a better prognosis. However, in the multivariate analysis, only a lower NSTB score (0-1 vs 2; for OS, HR = 0.485, 95%CI: 0.251-0.940, P = 0.032; for DFS, HR = 0.453, 95%CI: 0.234-0.877, P = 0.019) and higher pathological grade, node and metastasis stage (0-I vs II-III; for OS, HR = 0.363, 95%CI: 0.158-0.837, P = 0.017; for DFS, HR = 0.342, 95%CI: 0.149-0.786, P = 0.012) were independent predictive factors.

CONCLUSION

The combination of post-NCRT CEA and CA19-9 was a predictive factor for clinical stage II/III RC patients receiving NCRT, and the combined index had a stronger predictive effect.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes in carbohydrate antigen 19-9 negative pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. Tumor markers like carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) have been proven valuable as a diagnostic tool and a predictor for tumor staging and response to therapy.

AIM

To delineate the phenotype of normal CA 19-9 PDAC according to clinical features, disease staging and prognosis as compared with high CA 19-9 PDAC cases.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective single-center analysis of all PDAC cases admitted in our Gastroenterology department over a period of 30 mo that were diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition. Patients were divided into two groups according to CA 19-9 levels over a threshold of 37 U/mL. We performed a comparison between the two groups with regard to demographic and clinical data, biomarkers, tumor staging and 6-mo survival.

RESULTS

Altogether 111 patients were recruited with 29 having documented normal CA 19-9 (< 37 U/mL). In the CA 19-9 negative group of patients, 20.68% had elevated levels of both CEA and CA 125, 13.79% for CA 125 only whilst 17.24% for CEA only. The two groups had similar demographic characteristics. Abdominal pain was more frequently reported in positive vs negative CA 19-9 PDAC cases (76.83% vs 55.17%), while smoking was slightly more prevalent in the latter group (28.04% vs 31.03%). Tumors over 2 cm were more frequently seen in the positive CA 19-9 group, reflecting a higher proportion of locally advanced and metastatic neoplasia (87.7% vs 79.3%). Six-month survival was higher for the negative CA 19-9 group (58.62% vs 47.56%).

CONCLUSION

Elevated CA 19-9 at diagnosis seems to be associated with a more pronounced symptomatology, high tumor burden and poor prognosis compared to negative CA 19-9 PDAC cases. CEA and CA 125 can be adjunctive useful markers for PDAC, especially in CA 19-9 negative cases.

Is CA19-9 effective in predicting chemotherapeutic response in patients with synchronous liver metastases with colorectal cancer?

Evaluation of response to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients with synchronous liver metastases is important in terms of treatment management. In this Letter to the Editor, several issues in the article are discussed. For the comparison of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) values referenced in the study, the patient group was not matched for cancer stage. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to select and compare CA19-9 values in patients with same-stage cancer.

Serum Biomarker Status with a Distinctive Pattern in Prognosis of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (GEPNEC) is a major research focus, but the application of biomarkers to guide its prognostication and management is unsatisfying. Clinical values of conventional serum biomarkers, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA199) warrant scrutiny.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with GEPNEC with baseline NSE, CEA, and CA199 levels provided in Peking University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively studied. Relationships between biomarkers and prognosis were investigated by the χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 640 GEPNEC patients were enrolled. NSE, CEA, and CA199 were elevated in 59.5%, 28.5%, and 21.3% of the population, respectively. Higher NSE had worse median overall survival (OS) (17.0 months vs. not reached, hazard ratio = 2.77 [2.06, 3.73], p < 0.001), and so did patients with higher CEA and CA199. Multivariable analysis confirmed that NSE and CA199 correlated with OS independently. Baseline NSE level and NSE remission predicted OS and the response of patients with first-line etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) treatment. Furthermore, we combined NSE/CEA/CA199 to segregate GEPNEC into novel subgroups, namely, adenocarcinoma-like NEC (ALN), neuroendocrine-like NEC (NLN), and triple-normal NEC (TNN). The groups shared distinctive clinicopathologic features and prognosis (21.0 months vs. 17.1 months vs. not reached, p < 0.001). The EP regimen remained the priority treatment option in NLN/TNN, while ALN was predisposed to "adenocarcinoma-like chemotherapy."

CONCLUSIONS

Elevation of NSE, CEA, or CA199 was common and independently indicates poor prognosis in GEPNEC patients. Serum biomarker-based subtypes suggest meaningful clinical implications and appropriate therapeutic approaches, illuminating promising ways to characterize the prognosis of GEPNEC.

Preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels predict early recurrence after the resection of early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a serious disease with a poor prognosis. Only a minority of patients undergo surgery due to the advanced stage of the disease, and patients with early-stage disease, who are expected to have a better prognosis, often experience recurrence. Thus, it is important to identify the risk factors for early recurrence and to develop an adequate treatment plan.

AIM

To evaluate the predictive factors associated with the early recurrence of early-stage PDAC.

METHODS

This study enrolled 407 patients with stage I PDAC undergoing upfront surgical resection between January 2000 and April 2016. Early recurrence was defined as a diagnosis of recurrence within 6 mo of surgery. The optimal cutoff values were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for early recurrence.

RESULTS

Of the 407 patients, 98 patients (24.1%) experienced early disease recurrence: 26 (26.5%) local and 72 (73.5%) distant sites. In total, 253 (62.2%) patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. On ROC curve analysis, the optimal cutoff values for early recurrence were 70 U/mL and 2.85 cm for carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels and tumor size, respectively. Of the 181 patients with CA 19-9 level > 70 U/mL, 59 (32.6%) had early recurrence, compared to 39 (17.4%) of 226 patients with CA 19-9 level ≤ 70 U/mL (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that CA 19-9 level > 70 U/mL (P = 0.006), tumor size > 2.85 cm (P = 0.004), poor differentiation (P = 0.008), and non-adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.025) were significant risk factors for early recurrence in early-stage PDAC.

CONCLUSION

Elevated CA 19-9 level (cutoff value > 70 U/mL) can be a reliable predictive factor for early recurrence in early-stage PDAC. As adjuvant chemotherapy can prevent early recurrence, it should be recommended for patients susceptible to early recurrence.

Risk factors for occult metastasis detected by inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor markers in biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND

Radiological detection of small liver metastasis or peritoneal metastasis is still difficult, and some patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) are unresectable after laparotomy. Staging laparoscopy may help avoid unnecessary laparotomy. However, which category of BTC is amenable with staging laparoscopy remains unclear.

AIM

To clarify the risk factors for occult metastasis in patients with BTC.

METHODS

Medical records of patients with BTC who underwent surgery at our institution between January 2008 and June 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups, according to resection or exploratory laparotomy (EL). Preoperative laboratory data, including inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor markers, were compared between the two groups. Prognostic importance of detected risk factors was also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 236 patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty-six (11%) patients underwent EL. Among the EL patients, there were 16 cases of occult metastasis (7 liver metastases and 9 abdominal disseminations). Serum carcinoembryonic antigen level, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and modified Glasgow prognostic score were significantly higher in the EL group than in the resected group, and these factors were prognostic. Among these factors, carcinoembryonic antigen > 7 ng/mL was the most useful to predict occult metastasis in BTC. When patients have more than three of these positive factors, the rate of occult metastasis increases.

CONCLUSION

Inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor markers are useful in detecting occult metastasis in BTC; based on these factors, staging laparoscopy may reduce the rate of EL.

Elevated tumor markers in a benign lung disease

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism of elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in pulmonary sequestration (PS) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four pulmonary sequestration patients, 12 pneumonia patients and 12 healthy adult volunteers were prospectively studied. Specimens from another 34 pulmonary sequestration patients were retrospectively analyzed. Serum CA19-9 levels of 4 patients were tested before and 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after surgery. The CA19-9 levels of 12 pneumonia patients and 12 healthy adult volunteers were tested as controls. The expression and localization of CA19-9 in diseased lesions and corresponding normal lung tissues were analyzed by Immunohistochemical (IHC). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in pulmonary sequestration tissues.

RESULTS

Serum CA19-9 levels were significantly higher in the 4 patients (797.3 ± 316 IU/ml) than in the pneumonia patients (10.07 ± 5.01 IU/ml) and healthy volunteers (9.85 ± 4.12 IU/ml). In addition, serum CA19-9 levels decreased dramatically after the focus was removed. Positive staining of CA19-9 was found in 70% (24/34) of pulmonary sequestration tissues, and CA19-9 was mainly expressed in the bronchial mucus. In the 4 diseased lesions, deformed alveolar structure and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed, and the degree of damage was positively correlated with serum CA19-9 levels.

CONCLUSIONS

CA19-9 could be generated by abnormal columnar epithelia in pulmonary sequestration tissues and was transported into circulation after alveoli damage. CA19-9 could serve as an adjuvant diagnostic marker in pulmonary sequestration.

Prognostic Value of Combination of Inflammatory and Tumor Markers in Resectable Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory response and tumor marker levels have been shown to correlate with the prognosis in several human tumors. However, only a few studies on these markers have been performed in gastric cancer (GC) patients; the clinical significance of the combined markers is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the role of the combination of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) for predicting the prognosis of patients with GC.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 458 patients who underwent gastrectomy with curative intent between January 2013 and July 2014 in the second hospital of Lanzhou University. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was performed to determine the cut-off values for biomarkers, and their prognostic values were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier curve. The combined score indicators were established based on the optimal cut-off values, which range from 0 to 2. Prognostic significances for overall survival (OS) were assessed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Nomogram was used as a visual supplement for the prognostic score system, and the predictive accuracy and discriminative ability were determined by the concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve.

RESULTS

The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 66.2% (n = 303), 42.8% (n = 196), and 40.2% (n = 184) in all 458 patients, respectively. The high NLR (≥1.96), PLR (≥126), CA19-9 (≥27 U/mL), and CEA (≥ 5 ng/mL) were associated with poor prognosis of GC patients. The NLR + CA19-9 score indicator proved to be related to tumor size, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, T stage, N stage, TNM stage, PLR, and CEA in patients with GC and an independent prognostic factor for prediction of 5-year OS (score 1: HR = 1.423, 95%CI: 1.049-1.929, P = 0.023; score 2: HR = 2.740, 95%CI: 1.882-3.990, P < 0.001). NLR + CA19-9 has a better predictive ability than other combined or single score indicators based on inflammation and tumor markers (AUC = 0.662, 95%CI: 0.616-0.705, P < 0.001). Moreover, a nomogram was established by the significant characteristics in the multivariate analysis for OS, which represented high accuracy (C-index = 0.692, 95%CI: 0.675-0.708).

CONCLUSION

NLR + CA19-9 can independently predict the overall survival of patients with gastric cancer after surgery. The prognostic nomogram based on NLR + CA19-9 is a convenient, economical, and effective prognostic system for clinical practice.

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 as a novel prognostic biomarker in distal cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) presents as one of the relatively rare malignant tumors in the digestive system and has a poor long-term prognosis. Curative resection is currently the most appropriate therapy for patients with DCC because of the lack of effective adjuvant therapies. Therefore, it is important to accurately predict the prognosis for formulating a reasonable treatment plan and avoiding unnecessary surgical trauma.

AIM

To minimize the interference of obstructive jaundice on carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level by adapting CA19-9 to γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) as an indicator, to determine the strong associations between CA19-9/GGT and postoperative neoplasm recurrence and long-term outcome of DCC.

METHODS

We enrolled 186 patients who were diagnosed with DCC between January 2010 and December 2019 and performed radical excision with strict criteria as follows in our hospital. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn according to preoperative CA19-9/GGT and 1-year survival. Based on this, patients were divided into two groups (group 1, low-ratio, n = 81; group 2, high-ratio, n = 105). Afterwards, by the way of univariate and multivariate analysis, the risk factors influencing postoperative tumor recrudesce and long-term prognosis of patients with DCC were screened out.

RESULTS

Optimum cut-off value of CA19-9/GGT was 0.12. Patients in group 2 represented higher CA19-9 and lymphatic metastasis rate accompanied by lower GGT, when compared with group 1 (P < 0.05). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients in groups 1 and 2 were 88.3%, 59.2% and 48.1%, and 61.0%, 13.6% and 13.6%, respectively (P = 0.000). Multivariate analysis indicated that CA19-9/GGT, lymphatic metastasis and tumor differentiation were independent risk factors for tumor recurrence and long-term prognosis of DCC.

CONCLUSION

Elevation of CA19-9/GGT performed better as a biomarker of aggressive carcinoma and predictor of poor clinical outcomes by reducing the effect of obstruction of biliary tract on CA19-9 concentration in patients with DCC.

Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Is an Invasive Malignancy Preoperative Prognostic Factor for Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to determine the preoperative clinicophysiological and postoperative clinicopathological predictors of malignancy in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN).

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study. We included 121 patients (73 men and 48 women; mean age: 68.7 years) who had undergone pancreatic resection for IPMN between 2007 and 2018. These patients were grouped into invasive carcinoma (IPMN-INV, N = 21) and low/high-grade IPMN (IPMN-LG/HG, N = 100) groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinicophysiological parameters were carried out. These parameters were also compared between the IPMN-INV/HG (N = 53) and IPMN-LG (N = 68) groups. Survival analyses according to macroscopic type and IPMN subtypes were performed.

RESULTS

On univariate analysis, age (p = 0.038), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 (p < 0.001), IPMN macroscopic type (p = 0.001), IPMN subtype (p < 0.001), pancreatic duct diameter (p < 0.001), and mural nodule (p = 0.042), between IPMN-INV and IPMN-LG/HG were found to be significant prognostic factors of malignancy. CA 19-9 was found to be an independent prognostic factor of IPMN malignancy on multivariate analysis (p = 0.035). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of the IPMN-INV and IPMN-LG/HG groups were 94.4/100%, 94.4/100%, and 67.2/100%, respectively. The OS rate in the IPMN-LG/HG group was significantly higher than that in the IPMN-INV group (p < 0.001). On univariate analysis, platelet (p = 0.043), CA 19-9 (p = 0.039), prognostic nutritional index (p = 0.034), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.01), IPMN macroscopic type (p < 0.001), IPMN subtype (p < 0.001), pancreatic duct diameter (p = 0.036), and mural nodule (p = 0.032) between IPMN-INV/HG and IPMN-LG were found to be significant prognostic factors of malignancy. On multivariate analysis, CA 19-9 was found to be an independent prognostic factor (p = 0.042) between IPMN-INV/HG and IPMN-LG of malignancy. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates of the IPMN-INV/HG and IPMN-LG groups were 97.9/100%, 97.9/100%, and 82.6/100%, respectively. The OS rate was significantly higher in the IPMN-LG group than in the IPMN-INV/HG group (p = 0.03). No significant differences in survival were observed in patients with macroscopic tumors (p= 0.544).

CONCLUSION

CA 19-9 is an independent invasive malignancy predictor of IPMN.

High serum levels of CA 19-9 and CYFRA21-1 caused by renal pelvis urothelial carcinoma: a report of two cases

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) are widely used as tumor markers in clinical practice and are increased in many neoplasms. However, although increased serum CA19-9 levels have been found in some Japanese patients with renal urothelial carcinoma (UC), they have not been detected in patients from other countries or regions, and increased serum CYFRA21-1 levels haves not been reported in patients with renal UC. We analyzed serum CA19-9 and CYFRA21-1 levels in two patients with renal UC and monitored the changes in levels during postoperative follow-up. Both cases with renal pelvis UC had high levels of serum CA19-9 and CYFRA21-1, which decreased to within normal ranges after successful surgery, suggesting a causal relationship between renal UC and increased serum CA19-9 and CYFRA21-1. Because serum levels of CA19-9 and CYFRA21-1 are increased in many neoplastic diseases, they may not be reliable tumor markers for the screening and diagnosis of renal UC. However, they may be useful noninvasive indicators for assessing treatment effects in patients with renal pelvis UC with elevated pretreatment serum CA19-9 or CYFRA21-1.

Preoperative risk factors for para-aortic lymph node positivity in pancreatic cancer

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify the preoperative risk factors for para-aortic lymph node (PALN) positivity, including micrometastasis, in pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

Medical records of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative resection were retrospectively reviewed, and the relationships between preoperative risk factors and PALN positivity were identified. Clinicopathological and prognostic factors for overall survival were analyzed. Micrometastasis was investigated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

400 patients were enrolled. PALN positivity by hematoxylin and eosin staining, micrometastasis, and negative were found in 46 (11%), 32 (8%), and 322 (81%) patients, respectively. The median overall survival times of patients with PALN positivity, including micrometastasis, was 22.5 months. Multivariate logistic regression identified borderline or locally advanced status (p=0.037), elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level (p<0.001), larger tumor size ≥30 mm (p=0.001) and larger PALN size ≥10 mm (p=0.019) as independent preoperative risk factors of PALN positivity. Multivariate overall survival analysis demonstrated borderline or locally advanced status (p=0.013), elevated preoperative CA19-9 level (p<0.001) and PALN positivity (p=0.048) were independent poor prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Borderline or locally advanced status, elevated preoperative CA19-9 level, and larger tumor and PALN size were risk factors for PALN positivity, and thus, they may contribute to the optimization of preoperative treatments for patients with potential PALN positivity.

Roles of CA19-9 in pancreatic cancer: Biomarker, predictor and promoter

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is the best validated biomarker and an indicator of aberrant glycosylation in pancreatic cancer. CA19-9 functions as a biomarker, predictor, and promoter in pancreatic cancer. As a biomarker, the sensitivity is approximately 80%, and the major challenges involve false positives in conditions of inflammation and nonpancreatic cancers and false negatives in Lewis-negative Individuals. Lewis antigen status should be determined when using CA19-9 as a biomarker. CA19-9 has screening potential when combined with symptoms and/or risk factors. As a predictor, CA19-9 could be used to assess stage, prognosis, resectability, recurrence, and therapeutic efficacy. Normal baseline levels of CA19-9 are associated with long-term survival. As a promoter, CA19-9 could be used to evaluate the biology of pancreatic cancer. CA19-9 can accelerate pancreatic cancer progression by glycosylating proteins, binding to E-selectin, strengthening angiogenesis, and mediating the immunological response. CA19-9 is an attractive therapeutic target for cancer, and strategies include therapeutic antibodies and vaccines, CA19-9-guided nanoparticles, and inhibition of CA19-9 biosynthesis.

Preoperative CA19-9: a competitive predictor of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases after hepatectomy

PURPOSE

The role of preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) patients is still unclear. The present study aimed to explore the prognostic significance of preoperative CA19-9 in those patients.

METHODS

A total of 691 CRLM patients were included in this study. X-tile analyses were performed to determine the optimal cut-off values of CA19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Prognostic predictors were identified by multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The optimal cut-off values of CA19-9 and CEA for 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) were 35.24 U/ml and 20.4 ng/ml, respectively. Patients with high-level CA19-9 had significantly worse RFS and overall survival (OS) than those with low-level CA19-9 (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). In addition, patients with high-level CA19-9 had poor RFS and OS (P = 0.028 and P = 0.011, respectively) at low-level CEA. Multivariate analyses confirmed that preoperative CA19-9 was an independent predictor for RFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.295; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.043-1.607; P = 0.019) but not for OS (HR 1.213; 95% CI 0.902-1.631; P = 0.201).

CONCLUSION

CA19-9 is a promising predictor of recurrence for CRLM patients undergoing hepatectomy, and an effective supplement for patients with low-level CEA.

Decreased mean platelet volume predicts poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer

Background

Decreased mean platelet volume (MPV) predicts poor prognosis in some cancers. However, its significance as a prognostic indicator in pancreatic cancer (PC) remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 91 PC patients who underwent pancreatectomy were included in this study. MPV and serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were measured within 1 week before surgery.

Results

We divided patients into MPV^high (≥ 8.65; n = 40), MPV^low (< 8.65; n = 51), CA19-9^high (≥ 66.3; n = 47), and CA19-9^low (< 66.3; n = 44) groups based on the optimal cut-off values determined from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were significantly lower in the MPV^low than in the MPV^high group (16.9% and 56.3%, respectively; P = 0.0038), and the 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates in the MPV^low group and MPV^high group were 20.5% and 62.2%, respectively (P = 0.0031). Multivariate analysis identified MPV as an independent prognostic indicator for both OS and DSS. The patients were then divided into groups A (MPV^high and CA19-9^low), B (MPV^high and CA19-9^high), C (MPV^low and CA19-9^low), and D (MPV^low and CA19-9^high), with 5-year OS rates of 73.2%, 40.4%, 25.8%, and 10.3%, respectively (P = 0.0002), and 5-year DSS rates of 80.8%, 44.9%, 27.3%, and 16.4%, respectively (P = 0.0003).

Conclusions

Classification based on MPV and CA19-9 might be useful for predicting long-term outcomes in patients with PC.

Predictive value of changes in the level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

AIM

The aim of this work was to explore the predictive value of changes in the level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and after surgery in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

METHOD

Patients with LARC who underwent nCRT and radical surgery (between 2011 and 2016) were divided into three groups according to pre-nCRT and post-nCRT CA19-9 levels as follows: normal pre-nCRT CA19-9 (normal CA19-9 group), elevated pre-nCRT and normal post-nCRT CA19-9 (normalized group) and elevated pre-nCRT and elevated post-nCRT CA19-9 (nonnormalized group). The pathological nCRT response criteria included ypCR and downstaging (ypStages 0-I). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 721 patients were identified. The normal CA19-9 group was significantly associated with ypCR (n = 159) and downstaging (n = 347) (P < 0.05). The normalized group (n = 76) had worse RFS and OS than the normal CA19-9 group (n = 622) and better RFS and OS than the nonnormalized group (n = 23) (5-year RFS 47.0% vs 66.9% vs 81.5%, P < 0.001; 5-year OS 47.0% vs 75.4% vs 85.0%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, CA19-9 group and ypTNM stage were independent predictors of RFS and OS. Moreover, for the 23 patients with elevated post-nCRT CA19-9 levels, the RFS and OS of patients with normalized postoperative CA19-9 levels were significantly better than those of patients with elevated postoperative CA19-9 levels (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Following nCRT, changes in the CA19-9 level are a strong prognostic marker for long-term survival, and they may be helpful in the selection of patients who prefer more conservative surgery after chemoradiotherapy.

Prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 in estimating survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer

Background

The predictive value of different prognostic biomarkers has been studied in various cancer types.

Aims and Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of risk and prognostic significance of pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC) and reveal its relevance with survival.

Materials and Methods

Clinical and laboratory data of 118 patients with metastatic PC at the time of diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed. The overall survival (OS) was estimated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. To determine the prognostic factors affecting PC, the Cox regression analysis was performed.

Results

The average age of the patients was 67 ± 9.57 years. The patients were analyzed during the follow-up period, and their average OS was 12 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.73-14.26). The cutoff value was 3.54 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.653, 95% CI = 0.56-0.73, P = 0.006) for NLR and 437 (AUC = 0.670, 95% CI = 0.57-0.75, P = 0.002) for CA19-9. Statistically significant difference was found between CA19-9 (P < 000.1) and NLR (P < 000.1) and OS. Analysis of multivariate Cox regression showed that NLR (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.17-4.03, P = 0.013) and CA19-9 (HR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.08-3.03, P = 0.022) were important prognostic factors in OS analysis.

Conclusion

Pretreatment NLR and CA19-9 levels were found to be reliable estimative markers for poor prognosis in patients with metastatic PC. Our findings revealed that NLR and CA19-9 levels can be used to estimate the survival of patients with PC. We believe that our findings will shed light on the management of treatment protocols for patients diagnosed with metastatic PC.

Primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis with elevated serum CA19-9 antigen levels

Primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis is an extremely rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Herein, we report a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis accompanied by elevated serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) antigen levels in a 44-year-old man who presented with left scrotal swelling. Para-aortic lymph node swelling was observed on the computed tomography scan. Germ cell tumor markers were within the normal range, but serum CA19-9 antigen levels were high. Radical orchiectomy was performed, and histological examination revealed primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis with no evidence of other primary carcinomas. The patient underwent three lines of chemotherapy, although no reports suggest the use of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. Unfortunately, he developed metastasis at multiple sites and passed away due to adenocarcinoma 13 months after undergoing orchiectomy. Some reports suggest that CA19-9 antigen levels are elevated in patients with adenocarcinoma of the rete testis, although it has not been clarified whether elevated CA19-9 antigen levels reflect the progression of adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. In this case, as CA19-9 antigen levels increased with progression, CA19-9 might be a marker for primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. GEMOX chemotherapy as a line of treatment in primary adenocarcinoma of the rete testis has not been reported. Therefore, further studies must evaluate the efficacy of the aforementioned chemotherapy regimen.

Neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer: an intention-to-treat analysis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to reassess the duration of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC).

METHODS

The medical records of patients with BRPC who received NAT before intended curative resection were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, clinicopathological factors, and prognostic factors for overall survival were analyzed. The serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level was examined monthly during NAT.

RESULTS

A total of 118 patients with BRPC were enrolled. The median survival time and 5-year overall survival were 28.0 months and 31%, respectively. Three months after NAT, the CA19-9 levels were normal in 57% of the patients, and 92% underwent resection. Multivariate analysis showed that radiological partial response (hazard ratio (HR), 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.26-0.99; p = 0.047); a normal CA19-9 level after NAT (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.22-0.66; p = 0.006); and tumor resection (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.13-0.67; p = 0.005) were independent predictors of better survival. The median CA19-9 level and the rate of normal CA19-9 levels before and after NAT were 256 (interquartile range (IQR), 23-1197) U/mL and 33%, and 27 (IQR, 7-176) U/mL and 57%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

A normal CA19-9 level after NAT was an independent predictor of better survival in patients with BRPC. A longer NAT duration might contribute to improved prognosis of patients with elevated CA19-9 levels.

A case of a jejunal gastrointestinal stromal tumor with significantly elevated CA19-9 levels

INTRODUCTION

A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with an elevated serum tumor marker level is very rare. We report a case of jejunal GIST associated with extremely elevated levels of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9).

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 61-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for examination of an abdominal tumor. Laboratory tests revealed extremely elevated CA19-9 levels (13,498 U/mL). Enhanced abdominal computed tomography demonstrated a well-enhanced, round 40 mm tumor. The patient underwent a jejunectomy and lymph node dissection. Based on the postoperative pathological findings, the tumor was diagnosed as a GIST. Microscopically, a solid region of the resected tumor showed negative staining for CA19-9. The serum CA19-9 level drastically decreased postoperatively.

DISCUSSION

Increased proliferation of epithelial cells secondary to inflammation and ulceration of epithelia may lead to increased secretion and accumulation of CA19-9, which is consequently released into the blood circulation.

CONCLUSION

In cases of GIST, an isolated increase of serum CA19-9 is extremely rare; but they are not necessarily associated with malignant transformation.

Sustained Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer Predicts Progression and Survival

BACKGROUND

As neoadjuvant therapy of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) is becoming more widely used, better indicators of progression are needed to help guide therapeutic decisions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review was performed on all patients with BRPC who received 24 weeks of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with chemotoxicity or medical comorbidities limiting treatment completion and nonexpressors of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were excluded. Serum CA19-9 response was analyzed as a predictor of disease progression, recurrence, and survival.

RESULTS

One hundred four patients were included; 39 (37%) progressed on treatment (18 local and 21 distant) and 65 (63%) were resected (68% R0). Multivariate logistic regression analysis determined that the percent decrease in CA19-9 from baseline to minimum value (odds ratio [OR] 0.947, p ≤ .0001) and the percent increase from minimum value to final restaging CA19-9 (OR 1.030, p ≤ .0001) were predictive of progression. A receiver operating characteristics curve analysis determined cutoff values predictive of progression, which were used to create four prognostic groups. CA19-9 responses were categorized as follows: (1) always normal (n = 6); (2) poor response (n = 31); (3) unsustained response (n = 19); and (4) sustained response (n = 48). Median overall survival for Groups 1-4 was 58, 16, 20, and 38 months, respectively (p ≤ .0001).

CONCLUSION

Patients with initially elevated CA19-9 levels who do not have a decline to a sustained low level are at risk for progression, recurrence, and poor survival. Alternative treatment strategies prior to an attempt at curative resection should be considered in this cohort.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This study identified percent changes in carbohydrate antigen 19-9 blood levels while on chemotherapy that predict tumor growth in patients with advanced pancreas cancer. These changes could be used to better select patients who would benefit from surgical removal of their tumors and improve survival.

A case of Trousseau's syndrome due to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with an extremely high level of CA19-9

BACKGROUND

Trousseau's syndrome is a cancer-associated thrombosis. Trousseau's syndrome with cholangiocarcinoma is a rare condition with poor prognosis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 59-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain, headache, and nausea. Abdominal enhanced computed tomography revealed liver tumor, splenic infarction, and bilateral renal infarction. Multiple acute cerebral infarctions were also detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Her preoperative serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were > 120,000 U/mL and 589.6 ng/mL, respectively, which were extremely high. Histopathology after right hepatectomy revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma consistent with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Her serum levels of CA19-9 were trending down to 9029.2 and 2659.8 U/mL at 1 and 3 weeks after surgery, respectively. However, at 7 weeks after surgery, her CA19-9 levels increased in the presence of positive imaging findings in the remnant liver, hilar lymph nodes, and peritoneal cavity. The initiation of combination chemotherapy including gemcitabine and cisplatin had a significant effect. The patient was doing well at 6 months after the surgery.

CONCLUSION

This rare case of Trousseau's syndrome due to cholangiocarcinoma suggests that extremely high CA19-9 levels might be a pathogenic factor of this syndrome.

Abnormal serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels in a patient with splenic retiform haemangioendothelioma concomitant with hepatic amyloidosis: A case report

BACKGROUND

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a glycoprotein that is used as a reliable tool for monitoring pancreatic cancer. Serum CA 19-9 levels are increased in patients suffering from liver, lung, and other non-malignant diseases. Haemangioendothelioma is a vascular neoplasm with a borderline biological behaviour. However, no case of haemangioendothelioma has yet been reported to be associated with CA 19-9.

CASE SUMMARY

A 54-year-old Chinese man was referred to our hospital for discontinuous fatigue and unintentional weight loss for over one year. Laboratory investigations revealed an elevated serum CA 19-9 concentration of 39 IU/mL (reference interval, 0–37 IU/mL) over one year before admission. Afterwards, coagulopathy appeared, and the patient’s serum CA 19-9 concentration increased continuously. At the time of admission, abdominal pain and haemorrhagic shock burst occurred, and emergency medical operation was performed. Laboratory investigations conducted upon admission showed a serum CA19-9 concentration of 392.56 IU/mL. Surgical resection of the spleen was undertaken, and pathological examination showed retiform haemangioendothelioma. The patient developed jaundice ten days after surgical excision of the spleen. Pathological examination of needle biopsy samples of the liver yielded a diagnosis of hepatic amyloidosis.

CONCLUSION

We describe a rare case of splenic retiform haemangioenthelioma concomitant with hepatic amyloidosis. Physicians should note abnormal serum CA 19-9 levels with early symptoms of fatigue and unintentional weight loss.

Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Is a Prognostic Factor Which Correlates With HDAC1 and HIF-1α for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIM

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is a poor prognostic marker in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC). Previous studies have shown a link between hypoxia and CA19-9 in cancer, and we have previously demonstrated a correlation between HDAC1 and HIF-1α in IHCC. Here, we evaluated the expression and correlation of CA19-9 with HIF-1 and HDAC in IHCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study included 62 patients with IHCC who underwent primary hepatectomy at our department. Clinicopathological characteristics were examined. Immunohistochemical expression of HIF-1 and HDAC1 in specimens was quantitatively evaluated.

RESULTS

Patients with high preoperative serum CA19-9 levels showed clinicopathological characteristics associated with tumour progression. High CA19-9 levels were associated with worse overall and recurrence-free survival. Univariate and multivariate analysis detected high CA19-9 levels as an independent poor prognostic factor for IHCC. Serum CA19-9 was significantly correlated with both HIF-1α and HDAC1 expression.

CONCLUSION

High serum CA19-9 level is a poor prognostic factor for overall survival in IHCC and correlates with HIF-1α and HDAC1 expression.

Label-assisted chemical adsorption triggered conversion of electroactivity of sensing interface to achieve the Ag/AgCl process for ultrasensitive detection of CA 19-9

Efficient strategies in enhancing sensitivity are pivotal to ultrasensitive detection of tumor markers. In this work, based on the strategy of label-assisted chemical adsorption triggered conversion of electroactivity of sensing interface, a Ag/AgCl process was achieved to enhance sensitivity of the constructed sandwich-type amperometric immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). Briefly, polydopamine-Ag nanoparticles (PDA-Ag NPs), as signal precursor, combined with labeling antibody were served as labels and graphene oxide-melamine (GO-MA) substrate with chemical absorption capacity was applied as smart sensing interface. After successfully incubating labels, there was primitively no current response due to the poor conductivity between labels and electrode. However, in the presence of H₂O₂, Ag NPs from labels can be etched into Ag ions, which were adsorbed by GO-MA to form GO-MA-Ag as electroactive substrate. Then, the substrate exhibited a sharp and stable electrochemistry peak of solid-state Ag/AgCl process in the buffer containing KCl. The sensitivity toward detection of CA19-9 was notably enhanced based on the appearance of sharp peak. Under optimum conditions, the designed immunosensor demonstrated a wide working range from 0.0001 to 100 U mL^-1 and an ultralow detection limit 0.032 mU mL^-1. Thus, utilizing this strategy to construct immunosensor was highly promising in clinical diagnosis for ultrasensitive detection of tumor makers.

Evaluation of preoperative prognostic factors in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Objective: Upfront surgery is the standard treatment for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (R-PDACs); however, these tumors often recur. We investigated the factors governing recurrence and prognosis in patients with R-PDAC. Methods: We analyzed 359 patients who underwent upfront surgery for R-PDAC between 2000 and 2016, and evaluated the relationship between clinicopathological factors and recurrence/outcomes. Results: The rate of recurrence was 74% while the median time to recurrence was 1.2 years. On multivariate analysis, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) >37 U/mL (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.02), tumor size >2.6 cm (HR: 1.50), pathological grade 3 (HR: 2.58), lymph node metastasis (LNM; HR: 1.65), residual tumor (HR: 1.47) and forgoing adjuvant chemotherapy (HR: 1.31) were risk factors for a shorter recurrence-free survival; the median survival time (MST) was 2.8 years. On multivariate analysis, CA19-9 > 37 U/mL (HR: 1.99), tumor size >2.6 cm (HR: 1.43), pathological grade 3 (HR: 2.93), pathological portal vein invasion (HR: 1.48), LNM (HR: 1.79) and forgoing adjuvant chemotherapy (HR: 1.39) were risk factors for shorter disease-specific survival intervals. When examining outcomes according to preoperatively measurable factors (CA19-9 > 37 U/mL and tumor size >2.6 cm), the median time to recurrence and MSTs of patients with none (n = 83), one (n = 112) and both (n = 164) risk factors were 3.2, 1.8 and 0.8 years; and 7.2, 4.0 and 1.7 years, respectively. Conclusions: CA19-9 > 37 U/mL and tumor size >2.6 cm were preoperative independent risk factors for early recurrence and poor outcomes in patients with R-PDAC. Therefore, preoperative treatment should be considered for such patients.

A case of ruptured splenic cyst with elevated serum levels of CEA treated by laparoscopic unroofing

Splenic cysts are rare and tend to have elevated tumor markers, of which carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 is the most frequently elevated. Therefore, splenic cysts with elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and without CA19-9 elevation are extremely rare. A 26-year-old woman presented with sudden upper abdominal pain while sleeping. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed an 85-mm simple splenic cyst in the upper pole and a moderate amount of ascites around the spleen. The serum levels of CEA, but not CA19-9, were elevated. Spontaneous rupture of a splenic cyst was diagnosed. We performed elective laparoscopic unroofing. The histological findings revealed a stratified squamous epithelium on the inner surface of the cystic wall. On immunohistochemical examination, the squamous epithelium was found to be positive for cytokeratin (CK)7, negative for calretinin, and positive for CEA. The histological diagnosis was an epidermoid cyst. Three months after the operation, the elevated serum tumor marker levels of CEA were normalized. Splenic cysts with high levels of CEA and low levels of CA19-9 are extremely rare. Laparoscopic unroofing is a useful operative procedure for ruptured splenic cysts with elevated levels of serum tumor markers.

Tumor markers: myths and facts unfolded

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to review the most commonly used tumor markers in abdominal and pelvic tumors, describe their limitations and explain how to use them in the context of known cancer in order to optimize multidisciplinary care of oncologic patients.

CONCLUSION

Tumor markers are important for the diagnosis, staging, monitoring of treatment and detection of recurrence in many cancers. This knowledge is crucial in the daily interpretation of images of oncologic and non-oncologic patients. However, radiologists should also be aware of the limitations of the most commonly used tumor markers and they should not be used solely, but interpreted in conjunction with diagnostic imaging, clinical history and physical examination that will help optimize the multidisciplinary care and management of oncologic patients.

High Serum CA19-9 Concentration Predicts Poor Prognosis in Elderly Patients with Stage IV Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

The optimal treatment strategy for elderly patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial due to limited research data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment results and to clarify the prognostic factors, especially poor prognosis factors, in elderly patients with stage IV CRC.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 82 elderly patients (aged ≥75 years) with stage IV CRC who underwent surgical treatment at our hospital between April 2001 and March 2017. Factors that affected prognosis and the ability to undergo treatment were analyzed via multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The median overall survival (OS) in the patients with high pretreatment serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) concentration (> 370 U/mL) was significantly worse than in those with lower serum CA19-9 concentration (0-370 U/mL) (8.5 vs. 19.2 months, p = 0.0059). In univariate analysis, age (≥80 years) (p = 0.014), performance status of 1-3 (p = 0.028), and high pretreatment serum CA19-9 concentration (p = 0.014) were significant prognostic factors for poor OS. By contrast, resection of the primary tumor (p = 0.024), chemotherapy (p < 0.0001), and resection of distant metastasis (p = 0.0005) were significant prognostic factors for favorable OS. Multivariate analysis showed that a high pretreatment serum CA19-9 concentration was an independent prognostic factor for poor OS (p = 0.01). Meanwhile, resection of the primary tumor (p = 0.033), chemotherapy (p < 0.0001), and resection of distant metastasis (p = 0.0008) were prognostic factors for favorable OS.

CONCLUSIONS

A high pretreatment serum CA19-9 concentration (> 370 U/mL) was a reliable predictive factor for poor prognosis, and aggressive treatments should be performed carefully in these patients. Moreover, various treatments, including surgery and chemotherapy, might improve OS in elderly patients with stage IV CRC.

Prognostic significance of perioperative tumor marker levels in stage II/III gastric cancer

AIM

To evaluate the prognostic significance of perioperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels in stage II/III gastric cancer.

METHODS

From a multi-institutional retrospective database compiled by integrating clinical data from nine institutions, data of 998 patients who underwent curative resection for stage II/III gastric cancer between 2010 and 2014 were retrieved and analyzed. The prognostic impact of the preoperative and postoperative levels and chronological changes in CEA, CA19-9 and their combination were evaluated. To test whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy alters the prognostic impact of perioperative CEA and CA19-9 levels, the hazard ratios for mortality were compared between patients who underwent surgery alone and patients who underwent surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

The prognostic impact of postoperative CEA and CA19-9 was superior to that of the preoperative levels. Multivariable analysis identified high postoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Disease-free survival rates clearly decreased in a stepwise manner in association with postoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels, and patients with high levels of both markers showed significantly poorer prognosis than other patient groups. When we analyzed perioperative changes in serum CEA and CA19-9 levels, patients with high levels before and after surgery had the worst disease-free survival rates among all patient groups. Patients with normalized CEA levels after surgery had a significantly lower disease-free survival rate than those with normal perioperative levels, whereas patients with normalized CA19-9 levels after surgery had equivalent survival to those with normal perioperative levels. The prognostic impact of high CEA levels was observably smaller in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy than in patients who underwent surgery alone, whereas that of high CA19-9 was greater in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. High postoperative CEA levels were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of liver, lung and bone recurrences, and high postoperative CA19-9 levels were significantly associated with increased frequencies of lymph node and liver recurrences.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels both before and after surgery provides useful information for precise risk stratification after curative gastrectomy.

Occult mucin-producing urothelial-type adenocarcinoma of the prostate with elevated serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9: Report of an autopsy-proven case

Mucin-producing urothelial-type adenocarcinoma of the prostate (MPUAP) is a rare, aggressive neoplasm thought to originate from the prostatic urethral urothelium. Our case is the first reported to show significantly increased serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 in MPUAP. An autopsy revealed occult MPUAP with prominent seminal vesicle, perineural, lymphatic vessel, and vascular invasion and extensive bone metastases. Duration of survival in this case was far shorter than average, and extensive bone metastases were rare in previously reported cases. This suggests serum CEA and CA19-9 levels can be an important prognostic factor in MPUAP.

Dilemma of elevated CA 19-9 in biliary pathology

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a tumor marker which has been extensively evaluated and widely utilized primarily in diagnosing and prognosticating pancreaticobiliary malignancies. Levels may be significantly influenced and elevated in cases of benign biliary conditions however, especially in obstructive jaundice, thereby posing difficulty in distinguishing between benign and malignant cholestasis. A myriad of studies have focused on elucidating proper use and interpretation of CA 19-9 in pancreatic cancer as well as in the setting of cholestasis. These studies have demonstrated that many factors influence CA 19-9 values and various methods for interpreting CA 19-9 in obstructive jaundice have been proposed. With improvements in diagnostic imaging, advancements in endoscopic modalities, and likelihood that management will not change based on the results of the test, clinicians should be cautious when ordering CA 19-9 and consider the reasons for measuring the tumor marker.

Value of Serum Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 and Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Evaluating Severity and Prognosis of Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to detect serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) patients and to demonstrate their values in evaluating the severity and prognosis of CTD-ILD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 82 CTD-ILD patients (54 males, 28 females; mean age 67.9 years; range 29 to 91 years) and 82 controls (54 males, 28 females; mean age 68.1 years; range 30 to 92 years). Patients were followed-up for 12 months. Correlations of serum CEA and CA 19-9 with disease severity parameters (pulmonary function, oxygenation index and involvement score on high resolution computed tomography) were analyzed. Survival analysis was used to evaluate significance of serum CEA and CA 19-9 as prognosis predictors.

RESULTS

Serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels were higher in CTD-ILD patients compared with controls (both p<0.05) and correlated with disease severity (p<0.05 for all R2). High levels of serum CEA and CA 19-9 were associated with poor survival (both p<0.05). Serum CEA level was indicated as a prognostic factor for cumulative survival (hazard ratio=1.685, 95% confidence interval: 1.405-2.021, p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

In CTD-ILD patients, serum CEA and CA 19-9 are elevated and can be indicators of disease severity. Moreover, serum CEA is a significant and independent predictor of survival.

Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9, Carcinoembryonic Antigen, and Carbohydrate Antigen 72-4 in Gastric Cancer: Is the Old Band Still Playing?

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by aggressive behavior and a high mortality rate. The diagnosis of GC is challenging because the GC is often diagnosed in an advanced stage. The use of tumor markers is a putative way to improve the detection and treatment in patients with GC.

Summary

In this article, we review the significance of serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA 72-4 in GC. The results from different studies regarding the diagnostic and prognostic role of CA 19-9, CEA, and CA 72-4 in GC are encouraging, but inadequate sensitivity and specificity obstruct their use as standardized and unconditionally reliable markers in GC. New prospective clinical trials are mandatory for clarifying their value in GC.

Key Message

CA 19-9, CEA, and CA 72-4 should not be used for screening and early diagnosis in GC, whereas they are beneficial in the detection of late GC. CA 19-9, CEA, and CA 72-4 could be used as prognostic and monitoring tools in GC, and their combined measurement in shorter periods of time is the best method to increase sensitivity and specificity.

Practical Implications

Serum CA 19-9, CEA, and CA 72-4 are useful diagnostic and prognostic tumor markers in GC.

Preoperative Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9: Its Neglected Role in Alpha-Fetoprotein-Negative Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

PURPOSE

The study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of the preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-negative (AFP < 25 ng/ml) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODS

From December 2004 to December 2013, 750 patients diagnosed with AFP-negative HCC following curative resection were enrolled. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to clarify the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

The optimal cutoff point for preoperative CA19-9 was 32.6 U/ml, and the value of the area under the curve was 0.640. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 88.4, 72.2, and 57.0%, respectively, for the CA19-9 > 32.6 U/ml group and 97.0, 83.3, and 79.9%, respectively, for the CA19-9 ≤ 32.6 U/ml group (P < 0.001). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates were 71.8, 47.7, and 34.8%, respectively, for the CA19-9 > 32.6 U/ml group and 80.8, 63.6, and 55.5%, respectively, for the CA19-9 ≤ 32.6 U/ml group (P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that CA19-9 > 32.6 U/ml was one of the most significant unfavorable predictors of OS and DFS (P < 0.001 for both).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CA19-9 > 32.6 U/ml is a predictor of dismal prognosis and can be employed as a prognostic marker for patient selection in AFP-negative HCC management.