Preoperative CA19-9 Levels and Lymph Node Ratio Are Independent Predictors of Survival in Patients with Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify whether preoperative CA19-9 levels might represent an independent prognostic marker for overall survival in patients undergoing resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and to describe the relationship between CA19-9 and tumour histology. METHODS: 109 patients who had a pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with recorded preoperative CA19-9 levels were identified from a prospectively maintained database (1997-2006). Multivariate analysis was conducted using a Cox proportional hazards model with continuous covariates where possible. RESULTS: The median survival of 64 patients with a preoperative CA19-9 level >150 kU/l was 10.4 months while in 45 patients with a CA19-9 level 150 kU/l were associated with a larger, more poorly differentiated tumour along with an increased likelihood of a positive resection margin status (all p < 0.05). Preoperative CA19-9 levels (p = 0.030) and lymph node ratio (p = 0.042) emerged as independent predictors of survival on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative CA19-9 levels and lymph node ratio were significant predictors of survival in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.