CA 19-9 may be requested along with other tests, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), bilirubin, and/or liver function tests, when a patient has symptoms that may indicate pancreatic cancer, including abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss, and jaundice.If CA 19-9 is initially elevated in pancreatic cancer, then it may be requested several times during cancer treatment to monitor response and, on a regular basis following treatment, to help detect recurrence of the cancer.
Cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a protein that exists on the surface of certain cells. CA 19-9 does not cause cancer; rather, it is a protein that is produced by the tumour cells, making it useful as a tumour marker to follow the course of the cancer.CA 19-9 is elevated in most patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, but it may also be elevated in other cancers and diseases such as bowel cancer, lung cancer and gall bladder cancer, as well as in benign diseases such as gall stones, pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and liver disease. Because elevated levels of CA 19-9 are seen in many diseases, elevated levels do not necessary mean the presence of pancreatic cancer. Very small amounts of CA19-9 may also be found in healthy patients.See MoreSee Less
