CA 19-9 Level as Indicator of Early Distant Metastasis and Therapeutic Selection in Resected Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose In patients with pancreatic cancer treated with curative resection, we evaluated the effect of clinicopathologic parameters on early distant metastasis within 6 months (DM6m ) to identify patients who might benefit from surgery. Methods and Materials The study involved 84 patients with pancreatic cancer who had undergone curative resection between August 2001 and April 2009. The parameters of gender, age, tumor size, histologic differentiation, T classification, N classification, pre- and postoperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level, resection margin, and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy were analyzed to identify the risk factors associated with DM6m. Results Of the 84 patients, locoregional recurrence developed in 35 (41.7%) and distant metastasis in 58 (69%). Of the 58 patients with distant metastasis, DM6m had developed in 27 (46.6%). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative CA 19-9 level was significantly associated with DM6m ( p < .05). Of all 84 patients, DM6m was observed in 9.1%, 50%, and 80% of those with a preoperative CA 19-9 level of ≤100 U/mL, 101–400 U/mL, and >400 U/mL, respectively ( p < .001). Conclusions The preoperative CA 19-9 level might be a useful predictor of DM6m and to identify those who would benefit from surgical resection.