Serum galectin‐3 as a biomarker for screening, early diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic effect evaluation of pancreatic cancer

Galectin‐3 plays an important role in cell‐cell adhesion, macrophage activation, angiogenesis, metastasis and apoptosis and is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. We explored the importance of galectin‐3 in the screening, early diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic effect evaluation of pancreatic cancer. A time‐resolved fluorescence immunoassay was performed to detect serum galectin‐3 level. Serum samples were collected from healthy controls and patients with pancreatic cancer before and after different treatments, and the relationships between galectin‐3 level and clinical parameters were analysed. Among the healthy controls, one individual with an abnormally high concentration of galectin‐3 (9.85 μg/L) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Compared to the pre‐operative level, galectin‐3 concentration significantly decreased in patients with radical excision 1 month after surgery (P