Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Twenty‐three (85%) of 27 patients with pancreatic cancer tested for CEA by the method of Gold were positive. The CEA assay was more frequently positive in patients with cancer of the pancreas than were any other diagnostic tests used, including upper gastrointestinal series,9 hypotonic duodenography,1 coeliac arteriography,2 and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography4; 10 of 11 patients with negative upper gastrointestinal series were positive, as were three of five with negative hypotonic duodenograms, four of five with negative coeliac arteriograms, and one with negative percutaneous transhepatic cholangiograms. CEA was positive in three patients with negative pancreatic biopsies. CEA “detected” liver metastases twice as often as did liver scan: eight positives had high CEA levels (< 10 ng/ml). Since most cases had far advanced cancer, more study of early cases is needed. Copyright © 1973 American Cancer Society