The value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen19-9 levels in the diagnosis of gastric cancer in elderly patients

Abstract

Objective To assess the value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)levels in the diagnosis of gastric cancer in elderly patients. Methods This prospective study included 104 elderly patients with gastric cancer at our hospital from March 2015 to December 2016 to serve as an experimental group.Moreover, 104 elderly patients with benign gastric lesions were enrolled to serve as a control group.Serum CEA and CA19-9 levels were compared between the two groups.The diagnostic specificity, sensitivity, and validity for gastric cancer were calculated by using CEA or CA19-9 alone or the two in combination. Results Serum CEA and CA19-9 levels in the experimental group were significantly higher than in the control group(t=3.001 and 5.110, P=0.039 and 0.016, respectively); The specificity, sensitivity, and validity of CEA and CA19-9 in combination were significantly higher than when each of the measures was used alone(χ2=2.101 and 2.109, P=0.031 and 0.019, respectively). Serum CEA levels showed good predictive power for both lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer(Z=5.109, P=0.002)and liver metastasis of gastric cancer(Z=3.910, P=0.026); Serum CA19-9 levels could predict lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer(Z=4.189, P=0.003). Conclusions Serum CEA and CA19-9 in combination have high sensitivity and validity for gastric cancer detection; Elevated CEA can predict gastric cancer metastasis and elevated CA19-9 may predict lymph node metastasis. Key words: Stomach neoplasms; Antigens, tunor-associated, carbohydrate