Immunologic screening test for carcinoma of the pancreas

Extracts of normal, inflamed, and malignant pancreas were tested by electroimmune diffusion against a randomly selected panel of normal sera and of sera from patients with pancreatitis, carcinoma of the pancreas, diabetes, other related malignant disorders, and autoimmune disorders. Seven of eight patients with carcinoma of the pancreas showed positive reactions. Other positive reactions were noted in sera of some patients with pancreatitis and with unrelated malignant lesions; these reactions were completely absorbed by absorbing the sera with extracts of normal or inflamed pancreas. Absorption of the sera from patients with carcinoma of the pancreas with these extracts still left a component that reacted only with malignant extracts. A simple screening test for carcinoma of the pancreas is proposed.