New Insights from Tumour Markers
Dr Humphris, has been looking further at the tumour marker CA19.9, the only biomarker currently available for pancreatic cancer. It was first identified in 1979 and has been shown to be helpful in diagnosing pancreatic cancer and is used to predict responses to treatment. The levels of CA19.9 can indicate the affect the tumour is having on the body, but can also be elevated by other causes, such as jaundice or yellowing of the skin.
Dr Humphris has studied a cohort of 260 people who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer and assessed the relationship between CA19.9 levels and chemotherapy treatments and outcomes after surgery. It was shown that when CA19.9 had returned to normal levels 6 months after surgery, individuals had a much better outcome. Dr Humphris’ work indicates that CA19.9 levels could be informative of how an individual is responding to treatment. This research has recently been published in the prestigious medical journal, Annals of Oncology.
To find out more read The prognostic and predictive value of serum CA19.9 in pancreatic cancer. Published in the Annals of Oncology.
