The diagnostic value of tumor markers and endoscopy in patients with gastric disorders

Abstract

Ozgur Turk

Aim: An endoscopy is mainly used to obtain an early diagnosis confirming or excluding a gastrointestinal cancer, and also to investigate the presence of other gastrointestinal diseases. The most common used tumor markers, namely carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP), are not sufficient for an accurate screening method. Evidence is accumulating that increased serum tumor marker levels can be an urgent indicator of endoscopy in dyspeptic patients. Materials and Methods: We analyzed serum tumor marker levels of patients who were admitted to Sivrihisar State Hospital with gastrointestinal system symptoms. CA 19-9, CEA and AFP serum levels were examined in forty patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and forty healthy volunteers. Results: There was no significant difference between serum AFP and CA 19-9 levels of patients group and the control group (P = 0.218 and P = 0.107, respectively). Serum CEA levels were found to be significantly increased in the patient group (P < 0.05). CEA levels of patients with gastritis were significantly higher than in patients with other diagnoses (P = 0.011). Conclusions: Tumor markers cannot detect any kind of digestive system malignancy. Physicians must pay attention to premalignant lesions due to gastric cancer development. We must pay more attention to diagnose gastric malignancy in patients who have increased CEA and CA 19-9 levels.