Radiat Oncol J.  2016 Jun;34(2):156-159. 10.3857/roj.2016.01732.

Delayed radiation-induced inflammation accompanying a marked carbohydrate antigen 19-9 elevation in a patient with resected pancreatic cancer

• Mattes MD
• Cardinal J
• Jacobson G

• KMID: 2327389
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3857/roj.2016.01732

Abstract

Although carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 is a useful tumor marker for pancreatic cancer, it can also become elevated from a variety of benign and malignant conditions. Herein we describe an unusual presentation of elevated CA 19-9 in an asymptomatic patient who had previously undergone adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy for resected early stage pancreatic cancer. The rise in CA 19-9 might be due to delayed radiation-induced inflammation related to previous intra-abdominal radiation therapy with or without radiation recall induced by gemcitabine. After treatment with corticosteroids the CA 19-9 level decreased to normal, and the patient has not developed any evidence of recurrent cancer to date.

Keyword

Pancreatic cancer; Biologic tumor marker; Radiation therapy; Radiation recall reaction; CA 19-9 antigen

MeSH Terms

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Biomarkers, Tumor
CA-19-9 Antigen
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
Humans
Inflammation*
Pancreatic Neoplasms*
Radiodermatitis
Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Biomarkers, Tumor
CA-19-9 Antigen