• Monitors gastrointestinal, pancreatic, liver, and colorectal malignancies
• CA 19-9, a carbohydrate antigen related to Lewis blood group antigen, has been shown to be elevated in serum of some patients with gastrointestinal tumors. CA 19-9, as a tumor marker, is helpful in post-therapeutic monitoring to determine the success of therapy or the development of recurrence when used serially. CA 19-9 has been reported as positive in 70% to 80% of pancreatic carcinomas, 50% to 60% of gastric cancers, 60% of hepatobiliary cancer, 30% of colorectal cancer, and few lung, breast or prostate cancers. Serum levels may differentiate pancreatic cancer from pancreatitis. The test may also be positive in patients with non-neoplastic disease, particularly inflammatory disease of the bowel, cirrhosis, and autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (33%), systemic lupus erythematosus (32%), and scleroderma (33%).
• Normal range is 0.0 – 35.0 U/mL.

Values obtained with different assay methods should not be used interchangeably.