Tumor antigens as related to pancreatic cancer.

Data are presented suggesting the presence of pancreas tumor-associated antigens. Slow progress has been made during the past few years in the identification of pancreatic tumor antigens that may be of clinical usefulness and it seems unlikely that many of the practical problems now being faced in identification and isolation of these antigens and in development of a specific, sensitive assay will be solved by conventional immunochemical approaches. The study of antigen and/or antibody purified from immune complexes in the host and the application of leukocyte adherence inhibition techniques to immunodiagnosis of pancreatic cancer are among the new approaches that may provide effective alternatives in the study of pancreatic tumor antigens.