Analyzing the high frequency of false-positive carcinoembryonic antigen elevations in postoperative pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE

The dynamics of postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients have not been well assessed. This study investigated the correlation between postoperative CEA elevations and tumor recurrence.

METHODS

Medical records were retrospectively analyzed for 84 patients who received curative resection for PDAC from January 2019 to December 2020. Postoperative CEA levels were monitored for a minimum of 12 months. False-positive CEA elevation was defined as a CEA level exceeding 5 ng/mL without evidence of recurrence in imaging studies.

RESULTS

Of the examined patients, 59 (70%) exhibited CEA > 5 ng/mL within the observation period. The sensitivity and specificity of elevated CEA levels for detecting recurrence were 84% and 41%, respectively. CEA elevations without tumor recurrence were observed in 27 patients, indicating a false-positive rate of 59%. More than half of these patients demonstrated peak CEA levels between 5 and 10 ng/mL, while only true-positive patients exhibited CEA levels exceeding 40.0 ng/mL.

CONCLUSION

CEA may rise in more than half of postoperative PDAC patients without recurrence. CEA alone is not a robust postoperative marker.