Serum EpCAM expression in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND

Aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic impact of serum EpCAM levels in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For quantitative measurement of preoperative serum EpCAM levels, a sandwich enzyme immunoassay kit was used (ELISA). Sixty-six patients with PDAC were included in the study and for comparison 43 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 104 healthy blood donors without any clinical evidence of cancer were analyzed as well.

RESULTS

Serum EpCAM levels differed significantly between the groups. The average value for patients with PDAC was 0.240±0.833 ng/ml, in patients with CP 0.192±0.590 ng/ml and 0.626±1.164 ng/ml in normal blood donor sera. With a cut-off level of 0.422 ng/ml EpCAM, the calculated sensitivity of detecting PDAC was 66.7% with corresponding specificity of 77.5%. A correlation with clinico-pathological data (pT, pN, M, R-status, grading, UICC stage) was not found and in addition there was no difference in overall survival between patients with high- and low-preoperative serum EpCAM levels.

CONCLUSION

EpCAM can be detected in the serum in patients with PDAC though the sensitivity for detecting PDAC is low and a correlation with clinical parameters was not found.