PurposeThe role of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) kinetics in patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) receiving chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.MethodsA total of 185 advanced or recurrent BTC patients receiving… Click to show full abstract
PurposeThe role of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) kinetics in patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) receiving chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.MethodsA total of 185 advanced or recurrent BTC patients receiving a first line chemotherapy between January 2006 and March 2016, were retrospectively studied. Serum CA19-9 was measured at baseline and after two cycles of chemotherapy, and patients were categorized based on CA19-9 response: CA19-9 decrease group (≥ 30% decrease), stable group (< 30% decrease and < 20% increase) and increase group (≥ 20% increase). The associations of CA19-9 response with radiological tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated.ResultsThere was a statistically significant association between CA19-9 response and radiological tumor responses (p < 0.001). The median PFS and OS were significantly different among three groups according to CA19-9 response: PFS of 8.0, 5.7 and 3.5 months in CA19-9 decrease, stable and increase groups (p < 0.001) and OS of 18.8, 16.0 and 7.5 months in CA19-9 decrease, stable and increase groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that CA19-9 response was prognostic both of OS and PFS in addition, to CA19-9 at baseline, and performance status.ConclusionCA19-9 kinetics after the first two cycles of a first line chemotherapy was a prognostic factor for OS and PFS in patients with advanced and recurrent BTC.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.