BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a tumor marker whose level is elevated in many types of cancers and other benign conditions. CA 19-9 levels are frequently found to be elevated in individuals during general health examinations. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of such individuals and to determine the need for medical follow-up. METHODS: We investigated individuals who underwent a health inspection, including a serum CA 19-9 test, at our center. Their CA 19-9 levels, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and personal and past histories were investigated. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed for those who underwent follow-up study for the elevated CA 19-9 levels. RESULTS: Of 58,498 subjects, 581 (1.0%) had elevated CA 19-9 levels. Multivariate analyses revealed that older age, female sex, lower BMI, and diabetes were independent predisposing factors for elevated CA 19-9 level. A subgroup analysis revealed that the causative conditions were identified in 129 of 351 subjects (36.8%). Among them, the causative conditions in 31 subjects (8.8%, including four cases of cancer and 15 of benign tumors) were not detected at the initial check-up and were found during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The use of CA 19-9 as a marker for cancer in healthy individuals is inappropriate. However, medical follow-up in individuals with elevated CA 19-9 levels may be useful because some causative diseases may be detected during follow-up.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; Body Mass Index ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; Causality ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic

PURPOSE: While tumor markers (carbohydrate antigen 19-9 [CA 19-9] and carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA]) can aid in the diagnosis of biliary tract cancer, their prognostic role has not been clearly elucidated. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic role of tumor markers and tumor marker change in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with pathologically proven metastatic or relapsed biliary tract cancer who were treated in a phase II trial of first-line S-1 and cisplatin chemotherapy were enrolled. Serum tumor markers were measured at baseline and after the first cycle of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Among a total of 104 patients, 80 (77%) had elevated baseline tumor markers (69 with CA 19-9 elevation and 40 with CEA). A decline ≥ 30% of the elevated tumor marker level after the first cycle of chemotherapy conferred an improved time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and better chemotherapy response. Multivariate analysis revealed tumor marker decline as an independent positive prognostic factor of TTP (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.44; p=0.003) and OS (adjusted HR, 0.37; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed similar results in each group of patients with CA 19-9 elevation and CEA elevation. In addition, elevated baseline CEA was associated with poor survival in both univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Tumor marker decline was associated with improved survival in biliary tract cancer. Measuring tumor marker after the first cycle of chemotherapy can be used as an early assessment of treatment outcome.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Biliary Tract Neoplasms* ; Biliary Tract* ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cisplatin* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: While tumor markers (carbohydrate antigen 19-9 [CA 19-9] and carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA]) can aid in the diagnosis of biliary tract cancer, their prognostic role has not been clearly elucidated. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic role of tumor markers and tumor marker change in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with pathologically proven metastatic or relapsed biliary tract cancer who were treated in a phase II trial of first-line S-1 and cisplatin chemotherapy were enrolled. Serum tumor markers were measured at baseline and after the first cycle of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Among a total of 104 patients, 80 (77%) had elevated baseline tumor markers (69 with CA 19-9 elevation and 40 with CEA). A decline ≥ 30% of the elevated tumor marker level after the first cycle of chemotherapy conferred an improved time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and better chemotherapy response. Multivariate analysis revealed tumor marker decline as an independent positive prognostic factor of TTP (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.44; p=0.003) and OS (adjusted HR, 0.37; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed similar results in each group of patients with CA 19-9 elevation and CEA elevation. In addition, elevated baseline CEA was associated with poor survival in both univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Tumor marker decline was associated with improved survival in biliary tract cancer. Measuring tumor marker after the first cycle of chemotherapy can be used as an early assessment of treatment outcome.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Biliary Tract Neoplasms* ; Biliary Tract* ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cisplatin* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDCurrently, all frequently used staging systems in gallbladder cancer (GBC) are based on postoperative pathological examinations. In patients undergoing curative operation, there is no effective method to predict survival preoperatively. In this study, we explored whether a combined utilization of two tumor biomarkers, namely carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), could give a preoperative prediction of survival in resectable GBC.

METHODSSeventy-three patients who underwent radical resection for GBC were included in this study. A retrospective analysis of clinical-pathological data was conducted.

RESULTSBy multivariate analysis, CA 19-9 elevation (P < 0.05) and CEA elevation (P < 0.001) were discovered as two individual factors for postoperative survival. By a combined utilization, patients were divided into three groups: patients with elevation of CEA (group I), patients with elevation of CA 19-9 but without CEA (group II), and patients with nonelevations of either CA 19-9 or CEA (group III). The cumulative 5-year survival rates in groups I, II, and III were 0, 14.0%, and 42.8%, respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBy a combined utilization of CA 19-9 and CEA, individualized prediction of survival is available in resectable GBC before operation. Extended radical operation brings the most prognostic benefits in patients with nonelevations of either CA 19-9 or CEA. However, if operation would be in a larger-scale destructive manner, careful consideration of surgical decisions should be made in patients with elevation of tumor biomarkers, especially CEA.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; metabolism ; Female ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; metabolism ; mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Prognostic factors for distal bile duct cancer are contentious. This study was conducted to analyze the prognostic factors of distal bile duct cancer after surgery with the aim of identifying those associated with diminished survival. METHODS: Two hundred forty-one patients who underwent pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD) or Whipple procedure in our tertiary hospital from February 1995 to June 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were pathologically proven to have distal bile duct adenocarcinoma. Postoperative complications, survival, and well-known prognostic factors after resection for distal bile duct cancer were investigated. RESULTS: Preoperative elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) level (P = 0.006), positive resection margin (P < 0.001), advanced T stage (P = 0.043), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002) were significantly independent worse prognostic indicators by multivariate analysis of resectable distal bile duct cancer. CONCLUSION: R0 resection is the most important so that frozen sections should be utilized aggressively during each operation. For the distal bile duct cancer with elevated preoperative CA 19-9 level or advanced stage, further study on postoperative adjuvant treatment may be warranted.
Adenocarcinoma ; Bile Duct Neoplasms* ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the prognostic value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 in gallbladder cancer (GBC) during palliative chemotherapy. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three patients with pathologically confirmed unresectable GBC were included. Differences in serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels before and after chemotherapy were measured. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, Kaplan-Meier analyses of CEA, CA 19-9, and combined changes were performed to assess the optimal cutoff values and survival rates. RESULTS: Patients with decreased tumor markers had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than patients with increased tumor markers. The pre- and postchemotherapy CA 19-9 ratio had the highest area-under-the-curve values for predicting 3-month PFS and 1-year OS. In the multivariate analysis, increases in serum CA 19-9 during palliative chemotherapy in patients with unresectable GBC was an independent prognosticator of poor PFS and OS, with hazard ratios of 2.20 (p=0.001) and 1.67 (p=0.020), respectively. Patients with increases >10-fold were considered to have progressive disease, whereas individuals with increases >3-fold were likely to benefit from early imaging follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: CA 19-9 kinetics was a reliable prognosticator of PFS and OS in patients with unresectable GBC who underwent palliative chemotherapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Kinetics ; Multivariate Analysis ; ROC Curve ; Survival Rate

Bi-phenotypic neoplasm refers to tumors derived from a common cancer stem cell with unique capability to differentiate histologically into two distinct tumor types. Bi-phenotypic hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC), although a rare tumor, is important for clinicians to recognize, since treatment options targeting both elements of the tumor are crucial. Imaging findings of bi-phenotypic HCC-CC are not specific and include features of both HCC and CC. A combination of imaging and immuno-histochemical analysis is usually needed to make the diagnosis.
CA-19-9 Antigen/metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/mortality/pathology/radiography ; Cholangiocarcinoma/mortality/pathology/radiography ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/*radiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Phenotype ; Risk Factors ; Survival Analysis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; alpha-Fetoproteins/analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer remains very poor. Although many studies have evaluated the prognostic factors of pancreatic cancer, their results are inconclusive because of different inclusion criteria, tumor stages, and treatment modalities. This large scale retrospective analysis was performed to assess whether active treatment of pancreatic cancer, even in its advanced stage, could improve patients' survival. In addition, we sought to identify factors associated with favorable prognosis of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Between 1994 and 2004, a total of 971 patients with pancreatic cancer were treated at Asan Medical Center. The patients were classified into three groups according to clinical stages: resectable (RE, n=226), locally advanced (LA, n=409), and far advanced (FA, n=336). Treatment response and prognostic factors for survival were analyzed in each group. RESULTS: Compared to supportive care, active treatment significantly increased the median survival time in all groups (RE: 18.0 vs. 9.0 months; LA: 10.0 vs. 7.0 months; FA: 5.0 vs. 3.0 months). Multivariate analysis showed that prognostic factors for survival differed according to clinical stages. In the RE group, unfavorable prognostic factors were high CA 19-9, poor histologic differentiation, large tumor size, and regional lymph node involvement. In the FA group, however, poor outcomes were associated with old age, poor performance status, and hypoalbuminemia. CONCLUSIONS: More active treatment of pancreatic cancer, even in advanced stage, can make a significant difference in terms of patient's survival. The prognosis of resectable pancreatic cancer is dependent on tumor-related factors, while the prognosis of patients with far advanced pancreatic cancer is dependent on patient-related factors.
Aged ; CA-19-9 Antigen/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*mortality/pathology/therapy ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Markers, Biological/blood

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Biliary drainage is performed in many patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) to relieve obstructive jaundice. For those who have undergone biliary drainage, bile cytology can be easily performed since the access is already achieved. This study aims to determine the clinical usefulness of bile cytology for the diagnosis of CCA and to evaluate factors affecting its diagnostic yield. METHODS: A total of 766 consecutive patients with CCA underwent bile cytology via endoscopic nasobiliary drainage or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage from January 2000 to June 2012. Data were collected by retrospectively reviewing the medical records. We evaluated the diagnostic yield of bile cytology with/without other sampling methods including brush cytology and endobiliary forcep biopsy, and the optimal number of repeated bile sampling. Several factors affecting diagnostic yield were then analyzed. RESULTS: The sensitivity of bile cytology, endobiliary forceps biopsy, and a combination of both sampling methods were 24.7% (189/766), 74.4% (259/348), and 77.9% (271/348), respectively. The cumulative positive rate of bile sampling increased from 40.7% (77/189) at first sampling to 93.1% (176/189) at third sampling. On multivariate analysis, factors associated with positive bile cytology were perihilar tumor location, intraductal growing tumor type, tumor extent > or =20 mm, poorly differentiated grade tumor, and three or more samplings. CONCLUSIONS: Although bile cytology itself has a low sensitivity in diagnosing CCA, it has an additive role when combined with endobiliary forceps biopsy. Due to the relative ease and low cost, bile cytology can be considered a reasonable complementary diagnostic tool for diagnosing CCA.
Aged ; Bile/*cytology ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; CA-19-9 Antigen/metabolism ; Cholangiocarcinoma/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of PET/CT for pancreatic malignancy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 115 patients with pathologically diagnosed pancreatic cancer between January 2003 to August 2008 who underwent abdominal CT and PET/CT examination before histological confirmation. CT and PET/CT images were reviewed in single-blinded status and diagnostic ability on primary pancreatic lesion, regional lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis was evaluated. RESULTS: 99 patients (86%) had malignant diseases including 91 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 16 patients (14%) benign diseases. Only CA 19-9 value and SUV were significantly different between PET/CT positive and negative groups (p=0.001, p<0.001). Sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values (PPV) of both modality for pancreatic lesion were same (94%, 62%, and 95%, respectively), and negative predictive values (NPV) were 67% on CT and 57% on PET/CT. PET/CT correctly diagnosed 8 cases (6.9%) of falsely diagnosed pancreatic lesion on CT. Nine cases (15.7%) of misdiagnosed lymph node metastasis on CT were correctly diagnosed on PET/CT. But, there was no significant difference in the diagnosis of regional lymph node metastasis. 3 out of 29 cases of distant metastasis, except 2 cases of supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, were additionally diagnosed by PET/CT. But, overall sensitivity of distant metastasis was significantly higher in CT (83% vs 69%, p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Although PET/CT provided additional correct diagnoses in many cases, it showed fair diagnostic power for primary pancreatic lesion and lymph node metastasis, and lower sensitivity for distant metastasis. Therefore, PET/CT should be used as an supplementary modality of CT in diagnosing pancreatic malignancy.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; CA-19-9 Antigen/analysis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; *Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed