Peritoneal and serum tumor markers predict recurrence and survival of patients with resectable gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy has become a useful adjunct for the staging of gastric cancer; yet, other than standard TNM staging, few additional variables can be used to predict survival. This study evaluated the utility of serum and peritoneal tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA] and carbohydrate antigen [CA]-125) as predictors of locoregional recurrence and distant disease-free survival in patients with gastric cancer.METHODS: During the period June 1990 to February 1994, 86 patients with gastric cancer were evaluated and deemed resectable by preoperative imaging studies. Serum levels of CEA and CA-125 were determined, and all patients underwent laparoscopic staging. Peritoneal washings were obtained from all patients, and 56 of these samples were evaluated for levels of CEA and CA-125.RESULTS: Sixteen (19%) of the 86 patients were found to have metastatic disease at laparoscopy; 67 of the remaining 70 patients underwent potentially curative gastrectomy. Serum CEA and CA-125 levels were predictive of survival in the entire group of patients. In patients who underwent curative gastrectomy, serum CEA predicted survival, whereas peritoneal CA-125 predicted peritoneal recurrence.CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum levels of CEA and CA-125 are predictive of decreased survival in patients with gastric cancer. Furthermore, determination of peritoneal CA-125 helps to identify those patients at an increased risk for recurrent peritoneal disease.
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- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis
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Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis