{"entity":{"id":"paper-goonetilleke-ca19-9-systematic-review-ejso-2007","kind":"paper","name":"Systematic review of carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9) as a biochemical marker in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer","aka":[],"tldr":"Pooling studies of 2,283 patients put the CA 19-9 blood test at about 79% sensitivity and 82% specificity for diagnosing pancreatic cancer, with blocked bile ducts causing false positives.","summary":"A MEDLINE search for pancreatic neoplasm and serum tumour marker retained studies giving original sensitivity and specificity data, with attention to diagnostic accuracy, the effect of cholestasis and the relation of stage to marker level. CA 19-9 was the most extensively evaluated, with pooled data from 2,283 patients: median sensitivity 79% (70 to 90%) and median specificity 82% (68 to 91%). CA 19-9 elevation in non-malignant jaundice reduces specificity; combination with other markers improves accuracy. The authors conclude CA 19-9 should be used in diagnostic algorithms with elevated values repeated after relief of jaundice.","asOf":"2026-09-24","links":[{"label":"Goonetilleke and Siriwardena, Eur J Surg Oncol 2007: systematic review of CA 19-9 in 2,283 patients","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejso.2006.10.004"},{"label":"PubMed","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17097848/"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["pancreatic"],"sections":[],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":["manchester-royal-infirmary"],"pathways":[],"terms":["ca19-9"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"journal":"European Journal of Surgical Oncology","year":2007,"doi":"10.1016/j.ejso.2006.10.004","pmid":"17097848","authors":"Goonetilleke KS, Siriwardena AK.","paperType":"meta-analysis","findings":["Pooled median sensitivity 79% and specificity 82% across 2,283 patients.","Cholestasis raises CA 19-9 and lowers specificity; repeat after relief of jaundice."],"whatItMeans":"The numbers that keep CA 19-9 a monitoring and prognostic marker rather than a diagnostic or screening test.","caveats":["Pooled heterogeneous studies from before modern assays.","Lewis-negative non-producers are not separated out."],"changedPractice":false,"participants":2283},"route":"/key-papers/paper-goonetilleke-ca19-9-systematic-review-ejso-2007/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"pancreatic","kind":"cancer","name":"Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","route":"/cancers/pancreatic/"}],"institution":[{"id":"manchester-royal-infirmary","kind":"institution","name":"Manchester Royal Infirmary HPB Unit","route":"/institutions/manchester-royal-infirmary/"}],"term":[{"id":"ca19-9","kind":"term","name":"CA 19-9","route":"/terms/ca19-9/"}]}}