Correlation of Serum CA19-9 Levels With Levels in Saliva and Urine of Patients With Ductal Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas

Ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is the fifth leading cause of cancer related deaths in the European Union. Tumor markers CA19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen are important components in decision making and follow-up of patients diagnosed with this disease.

These tumor markers were found to be elevated not only in the serum but also in other body fluids in patients with malignant lesions of the parotid gland and the urinary tract. The authors have described in a previews small preliminary study a positive and a strong linear correlation between the levels of CA19-9 in urine and saliva with those presented in the serum of patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The current study seeks to enlarge the study population to confirm the previous results and standardize the measured levels of CA19-9 in these body fluids.