From the Guidelines
Elevated CA 72-4 levels are indicative of gastrointestinal cancers, particularly gastric cancer, and should be used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools to monitor treatment response and detect recurrence. When interpreting CA 72-4 levels, it is essential to consider the clinical context, as elevated levels can also be seen in benign conditions such as gastritis, pancreatitis, or liver cirrhosis 1. The normal range for CA 72-4 is typically below 6.9 U/mL, but reference ranges may vary between laboratories. In patients with suspected gastrointestinal cancer, CA 72-4 can be used alongside other tumor markers like CEA and CA 19-9 to determine the disease course and monitor treatment response 1. However, CA 72-4 should not be used alone for cancer diagnosis, as elevated levels require further investigation through imaging studies and tissue biopsies to confirm the presence of malignancy. Regular monitoring of CA 72-4 levels during and after cancer treatment can help assess therapeutic effectiveness and detect early recurrence. Key points to consider when interpreting CA 72-4 levels include:
- Elevated levels may indicate gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, or ovarian cancer
- Benign conditions like gastritis, pancreatitis, or liver cirrhosis can also cause elevated CA 72-4 levels
- CA 72-4 should be used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools, such as imaging studies and tissue biopsies, to confirm cancer diagnosis
- Regular monitoring of CA 72-4 levels can help assess treatment response and detect early recurrence in patients with known gastrointestinal cancer 1.
From the Research
Elevated CA 72-4 Levels
- An elevated CA 72-4 level is associated with various types of cancer, including gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and ovarian cancer 2, 3, 4, 5.
- The sensitivity of CA 72-4 in detecting these cancers varies, with higher sensitivity observed in gastric carcinoma, particularly in advanced stages or recurrence 2, 4, 5.
- Elevated CA 72-4 levels are also correlated with lymph node involvement and poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients 4.
- In comparison to other tumor markers like CA 19-9 and CEA, CA 72-4 has a high specificity in benign diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, making it a reliable marker for detecting malignancies 3, 5.
Diagnostic Utility
- CA 72-4 can be used as a serum marker for monitoring patients with gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other epithelial malignancies 2.
- The diagnostic accuracy of CA 72-4 in predicting malignancies, especially gastric cancer, is moderate, with a positive predictive value of 31.58% and a negative predictive value of 79.17% 6.
- Combining CA 72-4 with other diagnostic tests like endoscopy may improve its diagnostic utility in detecting gastric cancer 5.
Clinical Implications
- Elevated CA 72-4 levels should be taken seriously, as they may indicate the presence of a malignancy, particularly in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms 3.
- Post-operative monitoring of serum CA 72-4 levels can help identify patients with curative surgery and predict disease-free interval 4.
- Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of CA 72-4 as a serum marker for human gastric carcinoma and its potential in predicting the initiation and progression of the disease 4.