Clinicopathological features of CA19-9-producing gastric cancer

The aims of this study were to define CA19-9-producing gastric cancer and investigate its clinicopathological features.

Twenty-three patients showing high preoperative serum CA19-9 levels (> or = 38 U/mL) were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The CA19-9 cut-off level was determined on the basis of receiver operating characteristic analysis of CA19-9 levels obtained from patients having survived for 3 years after surgery. Patients in whom the CA19-9 level was the cut-off level or higher were defined as having CA19-9-producing gastric cancer (Group A), and their clinicopathological features were compared with those of patients showing CA19-9 levels less than the cut-off level (Group B).

The preoperative serum CA19-9 cut-off level was set at 77 U/mL. In Group A, lymph node metastasis was seen in all 11 patients, with the incidence being higher than that in Group B (p <0.001). The number of patients with stage III or greater disease was 10 in Group A, compared with only 3 in Group B (p < 0.001). The independent prognostic factors were preoperative serum CA19-9 levels, venous invasion and tumor stage.

CA19-9-producing gastric cancer is a type of gastric cancer with poor prognosis and characterized by preoperative serum CA19-9 > or = 77 U/mL.