Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is a global health concern that poses a significant threat to human well-being. AIM: To detecting serum changes in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigens (CA) 724, CA242, and CA19-9 expression among patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: Eighty patients diagnosed with gastric cancer between January 2020 and January 2023 were included in the observation group, while 80 patients with benign gastric diseases were included in the control group. Both groups were tested for tumor markers (CA724, CEA, CA242, and CA19-9]. Tumor marker indicators (CA724, CEA, CA242, and CA19-9) were compared between the two groups, assessing positive rates of tumor markers across various stages in the observation group. Additionally, single and combined detection of various tumor markers were examined. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value observed for the combined detection of CA724, CEA, CA242, and CA19-9 were higher than those of CA724, CEA, CA242, and CA19-9 individually. Therefore, the combined detection of CA724, CEA, CA242, and CA19-9 has a high diagnostic accuracy and could reduce the occurrence of missed or misdiagnosed cases, facilitating the early diagnosis and treatment of patients. CONCLUSION: CA724, CEA, CA242, and CA19-9 serum levels in gastric cancer patients significantly surpassed those in non-gastric cancer patients (P < 0.05). Their combined detection can improve the diagnostic accuracy for gastric cancer, warranting clinical promotion.