Carbohydrate antigen 19.9 accurately selects patients for laparoscopic assessment to determine resectability of pancreatic malignancy

Background: Laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography (L-LUS) may be useful in the selection of patients for surgery to resect peripancreatic malignancy in addition to contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT). The present prospective study assessed the strategy of using carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA19.9) levels to select patients for L-LUS. Methods: patients with suspected peripancreatic malignancy that appeared resectable on CE-CT were selected for immediate surgery if CA19.9 was low (up to 150 kU/l, or up to 300 kU/l if serum bilirubin was above 35 mu mol/l), or to L-LUS if CA19.9 was high (over 150 kU/l, or over 300 kU/l if serum bilirubin was above 35 mu mol/l). Data were assessed to determine the clinical utility of this strategy. Results: A total of 94 patients went straight to surgery, of whom 65 proved resectable: 63 of 80 with a low CA19.9 level but only two of 14 with a high CA19.9 level and gastric outlet obstruction. From 55 patients with high CA19.9 levels, L-LUS correctly identified 26 of 31 resectable tumours and eight of 24 unresectable tumours. Conclusion: Using CA19.9 levels to help select patients with pancreatic malignancy for immediate surgery or L-LUS for further assessment of resectability effectively increased resection rates and reduced unnecessary laparotomies.