Secretion analysis: secretin testing in pancreatic cancer.

Modern testing of pancreatic function and the diagnosis of pancreatic disease is facilitated by the addition of augmented stimulus to the standard stimulus used in secretin testing. The combined standard-augmented secretin test protocol enables not only diagnosis using the classical patterns of secretion (qualitative and quantitative defects), but also permits delineation of secretory capacity. In the abnormal patient, the augmented test increases the defect in the characteristic diagnostic parameter. Thus, there is fixation of flow in pancreatic cancer and fixation of bicarbonate in pancreatic inflammation.