Importance of Carbohydrate Antigen (CA 19-9) and Carcinoembrionic Antigen (CEA)

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Oncotarget

Oncotarget published this trending research paper on April 15, 2023 in Volume 14, entitled, “Importance of carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9) and carcinoembrionic antigen (CEA) in the prognosis of patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma: a retrospective single-institution cohort study" by researchers from the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL; Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL; Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28406 Correspondence to - Ellery Altshuler - ellery.maya-altshuler@medicine.ufl.edu Abstract Background: Duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) is a rare malignancy without validated tumor markers. In practice, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9) are often used in the management of DA, though their prognostic value is unknown. Materials and Methods: A single-institution retrospective review included patients diagnosed with biopsy-confirmed adenocarcinoma of the duodenum between 2006 and 2021. Peri-ampullary tumors were excluded. Levels of CA 19-9 and CEA were collected as continuous variables and were analyzed as binary variables: normal vs. high, using the maximum normal value as a cut-off (normal Ca 19-9 <35 U/ml; CEA <3 ng/ml). Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan Meier curves, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. Results: There were 68 patients included in the final analysis. Median age was 67 years old and median follow-up time was 22.2 months. CA 19-9 and CEA were elevated in 36.8% and 48.5% of patients, respectively. A concomitant elevation of both tumor markers was associated with worsened OS (HR 2.140, 95% CI: 1.114–4.112; p = 0.019). After controlling for age and sex on multivariate analysis, elevation in both CA 19-9 ≥35 and CEA ≥3.0 remained significantly associated with increased mortality (HR 2.278, 95% CI: 1.162–4.466; p = 0.016). Conclusions: In summary, CA 19-9 and, to a lesser extent, CEA, show promise as prognostic markers in DA. Larger studies are needed to validate their use and to evaluate their performance as markers of recurrence. Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28406 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - DA: duodenal adenocarcinoma, CEA: carcinoembryonic antigen, CA, carbohydrate antigen About Oncotarget Oncotarget is a primarily oncology-focused, peer-reviewed, open access journal. Papers are published continuously within yearly volumes in their final and complete form, and then quickly released to Pubmed. On September 15, 2022, Oncotarget was accepted again for indexing by MEDLINE. Oncotarget is now indexed by Medline/PubMed and PMC/PubMed. To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/oncotarget Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Media Contact MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM 18009220957