Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Jul 15, 2024; 15(7): 1648-1650
Published online Jul 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i7.1648
Serum tumor markers: Can they clinically implicate in type 2 diabetes mellitus?
Kotha Sugunakar Reddy, Ilakkiya Priya Pandiaraj, Archana Gaur, Sakthivadivel Varatharajan
Kotha Sugunakar Reddy, Ilakkiya Priya Pandiaraj, Sakthivadivel Varatharajan, Department of General Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad 508126, Telangana, India
Archana Gaur, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad 508126, Telangana, India
Author contributions: Reddy KS designed research; Reddy KS, Pandiaraj IP, and Varatharajan S performed research and revised the letter; Gaur A and Varatharajan S analyzed data; Reddy KS wrote the letter.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Sakthivadivel Varatharajan, MBBS, MD, Additional Professor, Department of General Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Varatharajan Sakthivadivel, Hyderabad 508126, Telangana, India. vsakthivadivel28@gmail.com
Received: March 18, 2024
Revised: May 8, 2024
Accepted: May 24, 2024
Published online: July 15, 2024
Processing time: 111 Days and 23.7 Hours
Abstract

“Serum tumor markers expression (CA19-9, CA242, and CEA) and its clinical implications in type 2 diabetes mellitus” authored by Meng and Shi presents an observational case-control study investigating the correlation between tumor markers and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study explores the diagnostic accuracy of tumor markers, particularly cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), CA242, and carcinoembryonic antigen, in poorly controlled T2DM patients with hemoglobin A1c levels exceeding 9%, employing receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Though study offers valuable insights into the potential utility of tumor markers in clinical practice, caution is advised regarding routine tumor marker testing due to challenges such as limited availability and cost. Additionally, the study overlooks potential confounding factors like smoking and alcohol consumption. Variations in CA19-9 and CA242 expression underscore the complex interplay between tumor markers and systemic diseases, warranting further investigation into their diagnostic and prognostic implications. While Meng and Shi represent a significant contribution to the field, more extensive research is needed to fully elucidate the role of tumor markers in diabetes management and beyond.

Keywords: Cancer antigen 19-9; Cancer antigen 242; Carcinoembryonic antigen; Tumor markers; Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Core Tip: The study explores the correlation between tumor markers and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), focusing on cancer antigen 19-9, cancer antigen 242, and carcinoembryonic antigen, in poorly controlled T2DM patients with hemoglobin A1c levels exceeding 9%. While offering insights into their diagnostic accuracy, caution is advised against routine tumor marker testing due to challenges like availability and cost, and confounding factors like smoking and alcohol consumption. Meng and Shi’s study is significant, but further research is needed to clarify the role of tumor markers in diabetes management and beyond.