<p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</p> <p>The probability that routine hematological laboratory tests of liver and pancreatic function can
discriminate between malignant and benign pancreatic tumours, incidentally detected during operation,
was investigated. The records of 53 patients with a verified diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma and 19
patients with chronic pancreatitis were reviewed with regard to preoperative total bilirubin, direct
reacting bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, glutamyltranspeptidase, aminotransferases, lactic dehydrogenase
and amylase. Multivariate and discriminant analysis were performed to calculate the predictive
value for cancer, using SYSTAT statistical package in a Macintosh II computer. Total and direct
reacting bilirubin and glutamyltranspeptidase were significantly higher in patients with pancreatic
carcinoma. However, only considerably increased levels of direct reating bilirubin were predictive of
pancreatic carcinoma.</p>
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HPB Surg. 1991; 4(2):147-155