What is a very high level of CA 19-9?
If your CA 19-9 is above 37 U/mL, you may have cancer of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, lung, colon, or stomach.
Can CA 19-9 be elevated without cancer?
Although elevated CA 19-9 level in healthy individuals is widely accepted to be unrelated to malignant diseases, patients with elevated CA 19-9 often present to the hospital in the fear of cancer.
Does high CA 19-9 always mean cancer?
High levels of CA 19-9 are often a sign of pancreatic cancer. But sometimes, high levels can indicate other types of cancer or certain noncancerous disorders, including cirrhosis and gallstones. Because high levels of CA 19-9 can mean different things, the test is not used by itself to screen for or diagnose cancer.
How reliable is CA 19-9?
Overall, an elevated serum CA 19-9 level has a sensitivity of 79–81% and a specificity of 82–90% for diagnosing pancreatic cancer in symptomatic patients.
What does CA 19-9 indicate?
CA 19-9 is used as a tumor marker: To monitor response to pancreatic cancer treatment and/or cancer progression. To watch for pancreatic cancer recurrence. Sometimes to aid in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
What does a CA 19-9 test for?
What causes elevated ca 19?
The list of medical condition causes of Increased carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (Elevated CA 19-9) includes: Pancreatic carcinoma. Jaundice. Cholangitis. Choledocholithiasis. Chronic pancreatitis.
What is a ca 19 9 test?
CA 19-9 Test is a test to detect and measure the amount of CA 19-9 (cancer antigen 19-9), a tumor marker in blood.
What is ca 19?
Cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a protein that exists on the surface of certain cancer cells. CA 19-9 does not cause cancer; rather, it is shed by the tumor cells and can be detected by laboratory tests in blood and sometimes other body fluids.