Differential diagnosis between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis is still difficult to establish. In 63 patients with suspected pancreatic neoplasm we performed: serum CA 19-9 assessment, abdominal ultrasound. CT scan and CT-guided pancreatic percutaneous fine-needle biopsy. The conclusive diagnosis was pancreatic cancer in 40 patients and chronic pancreatitis in 23 patients. With regard to the differential diagnosis, sensitivity and specificity were respectively 80% and 78% for serum CA 19-9, 75% and 65% for abdominal US. 85% and 70% for CT scan. 00% and 87% for percutaneous fine-needle biopsy. We conclude that CT-guided percutaneous fine-needle biopsy is the most reliable method for differential diagnosis between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.