Significance of tumour markers in cancer of gall bladder

In India, GI tract cancer is one of the ten leading cancers. Among Indian males it stands second to oral cancer and in females, it shares the third place. Most common malignant disorder of GIT is seen in our country that of liver, bile, gall bladder, pancreas, bile-duct and colorectal. Aim: To see the significance of tumour markers in gall bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: This study comprise 225 cases of GI tract cancers was carried for more than two years. Of these, 22 subjects had gallbladder cancer. Tumour markers viz. CA19-9, CEA and AFP were assayed pre and post-operative cases and their role in gallbladder cancer was evaluated. Results: It was observed that serum concentration of CA 19-9 increased with advancing stage, but the same is not true for AFP and CEA. Sensitivity of these markers AFP, CA 19-9 and CEA in the detection of gall bladder cancer was determined. CA 19-9 is the most sensitive of all the three tumour markers in the detection of gall bladder cancer. Conclusion: The combination of CA19-9 and CT (or US) is a reasonable, cost-effective, noninvasive approach to establishing the diagnosis of pancreatic, cholangitic, or biliary cancer in nonicteric patients.