Pancreas cancer associated antigen from normal colonic mucosa (PCAAc) assayed with monoclonal antibody

We prepared monoclonal antibodies against pancreatic cancer associated antigen (PCAA) from normal colonic mucosa (PCAAc) and prepared an assay system to detect the circulating PCAAc in sera. 200 patients with cancer including 85 pancreatic cancer and benign disease were compared with 40 normal healthy individuals. Diagnostic rate of pancreatic cancer was 64/85 (75%) but other malignancy also showed elevated PCAAc: 18/19 (94.7%) of hepatoma and 19/37 (51.4%) of gastric cancer. In pancreatitis, 8/17 (47.1%) showed elevated PCAAc. Compared with our previous reports of PCAA assay, these results indicated that diagnostic sensitivity of pancreatic cancer was increased but specificity of it was decreased.