Serum tumor markers in the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma

Kawin  Leelawat

Authors

Kawin Leelawat Department of Surgery, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Keywords:

Cholangiocarcinoma, CA19-9, CEA, CYFRA21-1, IL-6, MMP-7, MUC5AC, RCAS1

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in Thailand. Unlike other kinds of solid tumors, a preoperative pathological diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma is very difficult because of the location and the desmoplastic characteristic of this disease. Only by obtaining a proper diagnosis can the optimal treatment of a cholangiocarcinoma patient be assured. Therefore, identification of tumor markers in the serum would be beneficial in the clinical diagnosis and management of this disease. Here, we review the recent data concerning serum tumor markers, including CA19-9, CEA, CYFRA21-1, IL-6, MMP-7, MUC5AC, and RCAS1, for diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.

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