Elevated tumor marker CA 19-9 in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic mass lesions.

Inflammatory and neoplastic tumors of the pancreas still remain a diagnostic dilemma for a surgeon mainly due to subtle differences between these two sorts of tumors. The aim of the study was to assess the utility of the serum marker, CA 19-9, in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. 150 patients with heterogenic pancreatic lesion were diagnosed and treated at 2nd Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Lublin between June 1998 and Dec.