Cholangiocarcinomas account for about 1% of all malignant tumours. Their discovery is at a late stage when the possibilities for radical surgical treatment are minimal. To improve diagnosis, we need more powerful markers and early diagnosis techniques. The aim of the study was to investigate the diagnostic significance of cholangiocarcinoma-associated carbohydrate antigen (CCA‑CA) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF‑1) in blood serum and bile in patients with obstructive jaundice due to extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Thirty patients with obstructive jaundice were examined. They were divided into 3 groups: first group – 9 patients with histologically verified carcinoma of extrahepatic bile ducts; second (first control) group – 11 patients with histologically proven pancreatic carcinoma; third (second control) group – 10 patients with benign diseases of the biliary tract and gall bladder. The analysis of the results revealed a statistically significant difference between the studied groups. The values of both tumour markers are significantly elevated in patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer, both in serum and in bile. We believe that investigation of new markers in patients with obstructive jaundice provides additional information on the distinction between malignant and benign etiology. CCA‑CA and IGF‑1 can serve for diagnosis and confirmation of cholangiocarcinoma. It is speculated that this could improve prognosis and outcome.
Key words: tumour markers, cholangiocarcinoma, obstructive jaundice
Topic: MEDICINE