Evaluation of serum tumor markers in gastrointestinal tract tumors

Abstract

Serum CA 195 and CA 242 levels of patients with malignant gastrointestinal tract (n=60) were determined in parallel with CEA and CA 19.9. All markers showed low to moderate sensitivity for the malignant state. In terms of specificity and the predictive values CEA was observed to attain the best performance. Among all tests the CEA-CA 195 and CA 195-CA 242 combinations displayed the highest sensitivities. Our results indicate that complementation of CEA with CA 195 can significantly increase the sensitivity in the serodiagnosis of gastrointestinal system cancers. Combination of positive information is likely to lead to a more accurate diagnosis and to a more efficient therapeutic response.