Evaluation of CEA, CA 19-9, CA-50, CA-195, and tati with special reference to pancreatic disorders

Summary

The tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, CA-50, CA-195, and TATI were analyzed in patient, with pancreatic disease, a, well a, disorder, in the upper quadrant of the abdomen. Two different method, for CA-50, namely CA-50 IRMA and CA-50 DELFIA, which are based on the same monoclonal antibody, were used. The sensitivities, specificities, and predictive value, of positive and negative result, were calculated at one, three, and ten multiple, of the upper reference value (“cutoff”) for each method. All the tumor marker, except TATI had sensitivites exceeding 90% at one cutoff level, but CEA had lowspecificity. Poorsensitivite, were observed for CEA and TATI at three cutoff levels, whereas CA 19-9, CA-50, and CA-195 hadsensitivitie, and specificities > 80%. ThesenSitivitie, of these tumor markers decreased at 10 cutoff levels, although the specificities exceeded 95%. The predictive value, of positive and negative result, were also evaluated at these three cutoff levels. High scores were observed at three cutoff levels. Examined together with the sensitivity and specificity, the evaluation at three cutoff level, indicated that 19–9, CA-50, and CA-195 can be used in the diagnostic arsenal for the detection of cancer of the exocrine pancrea, insymptomatic patients, and in the differential diagnosis between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis. Although CA-50 IRMA and CA-50 DELFIA are based on the same monoclonal antibody, there were substantial difference, in the level, of CA-50 in a lot of the patient, when samples were analyzed by the two methods. These difference, were shown to be methodological, and they affected the test evaluation, to some extent.