Diagnosis: Blood tests (lack of)

Currently, no simple blood test exists for detecting or diagnosing pancreatic cancer.  A person with pancreatic cancer may have elevated levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes in the blood if the cancer is blocking the bile duct.  High levels of certain hormones in the blood may be a sign of a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, such as an insulinoma or gastrinoma.

There are two types of blood tests which can be performed to monitor the progress of a pancreatic tumor once it has been diagnosed.

CA 19-9

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

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