Serum des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin in patients with pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

The total des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) produced in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and the correlation between the tissue DCP and serum DCP levels has been examined. Fifty patients with resectable pancreatic head cancer were examined regarding both the tissue and serum levels of DCP. The mean tissue DCP in the cancer tissue, non-cancer tissue, the serum levels in patients, and the serum levels in controls was 190.500 mAU/ml mg protein, 32.000 mAU/ml mg protein, and 46.000 mAU, and 10.000 mAU, respectively. The elevation of tissue and serum levels of DCP in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients is a very useful marker for pancreatic adnocarcinoma and should be used without any other tumor marker (Tab. 2, Ref. 15).