Immunologic detection of primary carcinoma of the pancreas

The prevalence of carcinoma of the pancreas is increasing in North America. Primary prevention of this disorder is not yet possible and secondary prevention is difficult because most investigative procedures are either highly invasive or not universally available. The authors tested the efficacy of a simple immunologic assay, the leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay, in the detection of carcinoma of the pancreas. They investigated 55 patients who were divided into six groups--normal (control) patients (16) and those with carcinoma of the pancreas (9 patients), pancreatitis (15), other intra-abdominal carcinomas (9), obstructive jaundice (4) and pancreatic pseudocysts (2). The LAI assay proved highly effective in selecting patients who, at surgery, were shown to have carcinoma of the pancreas, but was not as effective in the groups. This assay may therefore prove valuable in the early evaluation of patients with a suspected pancreatic malignant condition.