Tumor Markers Flashcards
(67 cards)
where a cancer starts
primary tumor
where cancer spreads to other parts of the body
secondary tumor / metastasis
the most common type of cancer in women
breast cancer
the most common type of cancer in men
prostate cancer
a biochemical substance present in or produced by a tumor or by the body in response to it
tumor markers
what does concentration of the tumor marker tell us?
volume of the tumor cells
in a tumor marker, quantity of marker must correlate with ____
tumor burden
what does it mean when a tumor marker has a long lead-time mean?
detectable at the early stage of the tumor while it is susceptible to treatment
what does it mean when a tumor marker has a short half-life?
good for serial monitoring in response to treatment/recurrence
a tumor marker produced by specific tumor cells
tumor specific proteins
tumor markers produced by host response factors to the presence of a tumor
non-specific proteins
tumor markers found in the body but are expressed or secreted at a much higher rate by malignant cells
increased production protein
glycoprotein synthesized by the fetal liver, yolk sac, and GI tract
alpha fetoprotein
AFP is homologous to which protein?
albumin
when is AFP the highest?
during fetal development
when does AFP rapidly clear?
after birth
how long is AFP half-life?
5-7 days
elevated levels of AFP indicate what 2 malignancies?
hepatocellular carcinoma
testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumors
elevated levels of AFP are present in which 3 benign conditions?
hepatitis
cirrhosis
pregnancy
when is the MSAFP screening test done?
15-21 weeks in pregnancy
what do high levels of MSAFP indicate? (3)
spina bifida
anencephaly
multiple gestation
what do low levels of MSAFP indicate?
down syndrome
what test is used to check for down syndrome in pregnancy?
triple marker screen: MSAFP + HCG + estriol
a measure of how far an individual test result deviates from the median
multiple of median (MoM)
