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

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

@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.

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...

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?

@afaqsworld My doctors tell me that there are many things that can cause .CA 19-9 to go up one of which is pancreatic cancer. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 6 years ago. For 5 1/2 years my scans came back clean. Last December they found out that my cancer has come back. If my .CA 19-9 took a jump like that, I would be calling my oncologist asking about more testing to find out what was going on.

Did you have surgery to resect tumor?

@afaqsworld My doctors tell me that there are many things that can cause .CA 19-9 to go up one of which is pancreatic cancer. I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 6 years ago. For 5 1/2 years my scans came back clean. Last December they found out that my cancer has come back. If my .CA 19-9 took a jump like that, I would be calling my oncologist asking about more testing to find out what was going on.

in Year Nov-2013 my dad was diagnosed with CA colon and was operated straight away and 12cycles FolFox was followed. Oct-2018 due to increase in CEA level to 12 my Dad was again diagnosed with malignant Solitary lesion between the tail of Pancreas and Spleen. It was the reoccurrence...Again operated in Nov-2018 and has been on oral chemo for last 21months now...All went well... Prior to this CEA was only matter of concern as it was 12 before he got operated and now its 5.7. all along his CA19-9 has been well under normal range less than 37... we repeat his blood test every 21days. on 18Sep2020 his CA19-9 was 15 but today we did his routine blood test and to our shock CA19-9 has shot up to 158.9... last PET was done in July and all was fine apart from mild Fdg uptake at the tail of Pancreas and our Onco was not worried for that. My dad never had cancer of Pancreas and now I wonder what made this CA19-9 rise with 21days 10times from 15 to 158..... its frightening... my dad has been through a lot since last 7years now... can anyone help!!!!