Final answer:
The serum tumor marker for malignant pancreatic adenocarcinoma is CA 19-9, which can assist in diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and surveillance in survivors, although it is not exclusively specific to pancreatic cancer and may be elevated under other conditions as well.
Step-by-step explanation:
The serum tumor marker for malignant pancreatic adenocarcinoma is CA 19-9. This marker is often used in conjunction with other diagnostic tests to assess pancreatic cancer. While CA 19-9 may be elevated in pancreatic cancer, it is not exclusively specific to this malignancy and can be elevated in other conditions as well. Tissue-specific markers such as CA 19-9 help guide the search for specific cancers but should be interpreted with caution as they are not solely indicative of cancer and can be associated with benign conditions. Monitoring levels of CA 19-9 can also aid in evaluating treatment response and surveillance for recurrence in pancreatic cancer survivors. The pancreolauryl test and secretin-pancreozymin test are related but are used for assessing pancreatic exocrine function and not specifically as tumor markers.