CA 19-9 and pancreatic cancer: What do the numbers mean?

Hi @afaqsworld, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion about CA19-9 levels. I did this so you can connect with other members more easily. Click VIEW & REPLY to scroll through past posts and see replies to your questions from members.

CA19-9 is only one indicator to signal the possible need for further investigation. Will your father have additional tests to find out what is going on?

Onco suggests all is fine with my father...just repeat in 1week..he is expect all to be normal...but I am stressed like hell till we get this test done...

@afaqsworld, I bet you're stressed. That's understandable. One step at a time. Worry rarely solves problems, but putting our worries aside is much easier said than done. I get that. Whatever is causing the rise in CA19-9 levels will not dramatically change between now and when he has additional testing. It's good that his doctors are on it. Once they and you have all the results, a plan will be made.

Until that time, we're here. We're listening. If you just felt a light pressure on your shoulder, that's the virtual hand reaching to support you.

My husband started out at 24,000!!!! He is now down to 64.

My wife's CA19-9 dropped to below 30 after her surgery 2/20/20 but has been increasing ever since. Surgical margins were 100% clean and every surgical biopsy was negative. She's has blood work every month and scans every 6 weeks. Every scan has shown nothing. She's also had circulating DNA tests also negative. Two months ago the CA19-9 doubled and last month it quadrupled. The scans from last week now show a mass on the left ovary. Prior scan that visualized that area was in August and was clear.

We won't know for sure if this is pancan spread or something else entirely until it is removed, but due to the CA19-9, it is likely.

Bottom line, for people who's CA19-9 tracks the progression of their disease, it is an indicator worth paying attention to.

My wife's CA19-9 dropped to below 30 after her surgery 2/20/20 but has been increasing ever since. Surgical margins were 100% clean and every surgical biopsy was negative. She's has blood work every month and scans every 6 weeks. Every scan has shown nothing. She's also had circulating DNA tests also negative. Two months ago the CA19-9 doubled and last month it quadrupled. The scans from last week now show a mass on the left ovary. Prior scan that visualized that area was in August and was clear.

We won't know for sure if this is pancan spread or something else entirely until it is removed, but due to the CA19-9, it is likely.

Bottom line, for people who's CA19-9 tracks the progression of their disease, it is an indicator worth paying attention to.

Beachdog our stories continue to align. My husband 's ca 19-9 has also been rising fast the past few months and we fear a drop metastasis to his colon. Scans and a biopsy so far are inconclusive but the lab marker usually doesn't lie, so we will likely be starting a new chemo regimen this week or some type of immunotherapy. He already had neuropathy from the folfirinox regimen so wants to avoid any drugs that might worsen this. PC is known for spread even after clean surgical margins, so I guess we just roll with the punches 😔. We are being told at Mayo that additional operations to remove further cancer after PC are not advised since there is likely cancer in other places as well - if it spread to one place it has or will spread to others, hence the chemo route to try and kill it off instead. Prayers to all.

Beachdog our stories continue to align. My husband 's ca 19-9 has also been rising fast the past few months and we fear a drop metastasis to his colon. Scans and a biopsy so far are inconclusive but the lab marker usually doesn't lie, so we will likely be starting a new chemo regimen this week or some type of immunotherapy. He already had neuropathy from the folfirinox regimen so wants to avoid any drugs that might worsen this. PC is known for spread even after clean surgical margins, so I guess we just roll with the punches 😔. We are being told at Mayo that additional operations to remove further cancer after PC are not advised since there is likely cancer in other places as well - if it spread to one place it has or will spread to others, hence the chemo route to try and kill it off instead. Prayers to all.

Has he had scans showing tumor shrinkage?