|
Tumor marker tests are blood tests that look for the presence of tumor markers. They are performed at the same time as other blood tests, to avoid the need for multiple needle insertions.
Tumor markers are molecules occurring in blood or tissue that are associated with cancer and whose measurement or identification is useful in patient diagnosis or clinical management.
Tumor markers can be used for one of four purposes: (1) screening a healthy population or a high risk population for the presence of cancer; (2) making a diagnosis of cancer or of a specific type of cancer; (3) determining the prognosis in a patient; (4) monitoring the course in a patient in remission or while receiving surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
The following is a list of tumor marker tests, and the type of cancer they screen for:
- CA 19-9 (pancreatic cancer, gallbladder/biliary tract cancer)
- SLX (lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer)
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (stomach cancer, lung cancer, intestinal cancer)
- SCC (lung cancer, uterine cancer)
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (prostate cancer)
- Alpha-Fetoprotein (liver cancer)
- CYFRA (lung cancer)
- proGRP (lung cancer)
- CA 153 (breast cancer)
- BCA 225 (breast cancer)
- CA125 (ovarian cancer)
|
