Special Precautions/Comments:

Additional Information:

CA19-9 is a tumour marker associated with pancreatic cancer. CA19-9 is primarily used for monitoring treatment and recurrence of pancreatic cancer.  

CA19-9 can also be raised in other malignancies, such as colorectal and hepatocellular cancers, or in benign conditions such as pancreatitis, cirrhosis and diseases of the bile ducts. It should therefore be interpreted with caution in the clinical context and should not be used for screening in the general population. 

CA19-9 is sialylated Lewis antigen, and patients who lack the Lewis antigen on their red blood cells (approximately 6% of the population), will therefore not express CA19-9 even in pancreatic cancer. This should be considered when interpreting results.