Detecting CC

[Guest guest]

It was with great interest that I read 's posting of research into

the use of CA-19-9 and CEA as tumour markers for CC. My reading of the

research he posted is that neither are good markers for the occurrence

of CC and together they're not that much better. It seems that PET

scans and the FISH method of detecting CC may offer some value, but the

jury is out on both. And neither is commonly available. So what you're

left with is close monitoring using ERCP to dilate strictures (which

will decrease your CA-19-9 if it's not due to CC) and a " suspicious "

doctor to suggest that you need a tx now. This is but one of the nasty

dilemmas of PSC. More research into better tools to detect this form of

cancer are required.

Aubrey, MD

PSC '81, UC '90, LTX '98