Abstract
We measured the serum NCC-ST-439 (ST439) levels in 340 patients with cancer of the digestive organs, and 273 patients with benign diseases of the same organs. The posi-tive rate of ST439 in patients with cancer was as follows : gastric cancer 17.7% (26/147), colorectal cancer 26.9% (18/67), hepatocellular carcinoma 7.8% (4/51), cancer of the biliary tract 41.2% (14/34), and pancreatic cancer 585% (24/41).
The serum ST439 levels increased in patients with liver metastasis from gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer.
The positive rate of ST439 in patients with benign diseases of the digestive organs was as follows: gastroduodenal ulcer 1.7% (1/60), ulcerative colitis 100% (1/10), Crohn's disease 0.0% (0/10), acute hepatitis 8.3% (3/36), chronic hepatitis 2.5% (1/40), liver cirrhosis 16.2% (6/37), cholelithiasis 5.9% (3/51)and chronic pancreatitis 0.0% (0/29).
The results confirmed that although the sensitivity of ST439 is not so high, it is useful because of high specificity.
