ERCP combined with tumor markers in differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and pseudotumor-like pancreatitis

Purpose: To investigate the significance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) combined with tumor markers in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) and pseudotumor-like pancreatitis (PLP). Methods: A total of 186 patients with PC (pancreatic cancer group) and 89 patients with PLP (pseudotumor-like pancreatitis group) were selected as subjects, and another 268 healthy people during the same period were enrolled as control group. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels of subjects were compared among three groups, these subjects underwent ERCP, and its diagnostic value was analyzed. Results: The levels of serum CEA and CA199 in both PLP and PC group were markedly higher than those in control group and PC group had considerably higher serum CEA and CA19-9 levels in comparison with PLP group (p<0.05). The results of area under curve (AUC) showed that ERCP had the highest diagnostic value, CA19-9 had the lowest diagnostic value, and the combined diagnosis had significantly increased accuracy and sensitivity and decreased specificity. Conclusion: The application of ERCP in combination with tumor markers in the differential diagnosis of PC and PLP can evidently improve the diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy, reduce the rate of missed diagnosis of PC, and elevate the survival rate. Therefore, ERCP combined with tumor markers has good application value in clinical practice.