Related Subjects:
|Ferritin
|CEA
|ESR
|CRP
|ALP
|LDH
|HbA1c
|Alpha Fetoprotein
|Neutrophil Alkaline Phosphatase
|Anti-Hu ab
|Anti-Yo ab
|Anti-SCL70 ab
|Prolactin
|Liver Function Tests
|Biochemical Lab values
🧪 Key Tumour Markers
- Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)
- 🎯 Associated: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), non-seminomatous germ cell tumours, yolk sac tumours.
- 📌 Clinical use: Diagnosis & monitoring of HCC, staging & monitoring germ cell tumours, prognosis & recurrence.
- ⚠️ Not raised in pure seminoma.
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)
- 🎯 Associated: Colorectal cancer, breast, lung, pancreatic cancers.
- 📌 Clinical use: Monitor colorectal cancer treatment, detect recurrence.
- ⚠️ Smoking can increase CEA levels.
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
- 🎯 Associated: Prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
- 📌 Clinical use: Screening & monitoring, detect recurrence.
- ⚠️ False positives in BPH and prostatitis.
- CA-125
- 🎯 Associated: Ovarian cancer, endometrial & peritoneal cancers.
- 📌 Clinical use: Monitor treatment in ovarian cancer, detect recurrence.
- ⚠️ Not reliable for screening; can rise in benign causes (endometriosis, menstruation).
- CA 19-9
- 🎯 Associated: Pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, GI cancers.
- 📌 Clinical use: Monitor pancreatic cancer, detect recurrence.
- ⚠️ Not useful in Lewis-antigen negative patients (~5% of population).
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (β-hCG)
- 🎯 Associated: Non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (esp. choriocarcinoma), gestational trophoblastic disease.
- 📌 Clinical use: Diagnosis & staging, monitor treatment, detect recurrence.
- ⚠️ Can cause gynaecomastia in males.
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)
- 🎯 Associated: Germ cell tumours, lymphoma, leukaemia, melanoma.
- 📌 Clinical use: Marker of tumour bulk, prognostic indicator.
- ⚠️ Non-specific – also raised in haemolysis, MI, liver disease.
- CA 15-3 / CA 27.29
- 🎯 Associated: Breast cancer.
- 📌 Clinical use: Monitoring advanced breast cancer, recurrence detection.
- ⚠️ Not useful for screening.
