Tumor marker CA 242 in blood
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The reference values (norm) of the concentration of CA 242 in serum are less than 20 IU / ml.
CA 242 is a glycoprotein that is expressed on the same mucin apoprotein as CA 19-9. In benign tumors, CA 242 expression is low, while for malignant tumors its expression is significantly higher than CA 19-9. In connection with this, in benign gastrointestinal diseases only occasional cases of an increase in the concentration of CA 242 in the blood are possible, while the majority of patients with a high concentration in the blood of CA 19-9 suffer from diseases of the biliary tract, pancreatitis and liver diseases. СА 242 - a new oncomarker for diagnosis and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment of pancreatic cancer, colon and rectum.
The sensitivity of the CA 242 marker for pancreatic cancer is higher compared to the sensitivity of CA 19-9 at all stages of the disease (at the first stage, according to Dukes, 41 and 29%, respectively). In cancer of the colon and rectum, the CA 242 is more sensitive than other oncomarkers (sensitivity 40%, specificity 90%, CA 19-9 - 23%). The joint use of CA 242 and CA 19-9 does not increase the diagnostic sensitivity of the test. The combination of CA 242 and CEA increases the sensitivity of the test for the diagnosis of colon and rectal cancer by 25-40%. Survival in patients with colon cancer with a level of CA 242 more than 20 IU / ml after surgery is less than 1.5 years, with a level of less than 20 IU / ml - more than 5 years.
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